Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
64
Countries in the African region have a relatively low level of competitiveness. Their average
overall World Economic Forum global competitiveness index is only 3.4, which would make
them the 126th in the country ranks (among the 140 countries). Among the African region,
Nigeria has the highest overall logistics performance index, but takes only the 75th place in the
global ranking. The African country average is 2.47, which is slightly lower than in the other
two regions. Table below shows the key indicators for the 17 African countries in regards to
BAC activities.
Regarding their foreign trade, the African countries are much behind the other two regions.
The average export and import per capita are very low, only 515 USD and 352 USD,
respectively. In fact, the export per capita exceeds 1,000 USD in only one country, Gabon.
However, there is an export surplus driven by Nigeria and a few other countries. Also the
average GDP per capita is significantly lower in the African countries when compared to the
Arab and Asian regions. In the Doing Business study, Uganda has the shortest distance to
frontier (DTF) at 56.6%. The average for the African countries is 47.8%. In the trading across
borders indicator, Mali scores highest with 74.0%, while the average remains at 50.0%.
Table 8. Key indicators related to BAC activities in the OIC member states in the African
region
Sources CIA World Factbook, World Bank, OECD
The average for the Customs index of World Bank’s LPI is 2.30, with Benin having the top score
of 2.64 and Senegal following close behind at 2.61. In the OECD Trade facilitation indicator, the
average for external cooperation is 0.82, which is lowest of the three COMCEC regions. The
Country Group
Number of
international
agreements
affiliated
Imports per
capita (USD)
Exports per
capita (USD)
Customs
indicator /
World Bank
Logistics
Performance
Index (0-5)
Trading
Across
Borders DTF
(% points) /
World Bank
Doing
Business
study
Co-operation
– External /
OECD Trade
Facilitation
Indicators (0-
2)
Co-operation
– Internal /
OECD Trade
Facilitation
Indicators (0-
2)
Afghanistan Asian 9 374 82 2,16 28,90 % data n/a data n/a
Albania Asian 13 1 733 803 data n/a 91,61 % 1,67 1,00
Azerbaijan Asian 11 953 2 887 2,57 69,59 % 1,50 1,33
Benin African 8 262 205 2,64 61,54 % 1,74 0,00
Burkina Faso African 8 139 126 2,50 65,31 % 0,00 2,00
Cameroon African 9 273 254 1,86 15,99 % 1,33 0,67
Chad African 7 380 431 2,46 38,19 % 1,74 2,00
Cote d’Ivoire African 12 426 549 2,33 54,42 % 0,00 1,00
Gabon African 8 1 811 5 202 2,00 39,84 % 0,00 1,00
Gambia African 7 170 63 2,06 65,27 % 0,00 2,00
Guinea African 7 185 150 2,34 43,02 % data n/a data n/a
Guinea-Bissau African 7 132 100 2,43 50,58 % data n/a data n/a
Mali African 11 185 133 2,08 73,98 % 0,00 2,00
Mozambique African 9 315 155 2,26 58,20 % 2,00 1,00
Niger African 12 120 81 2,49 44,35 % 0,00 0,00
Nigeria African 11 339 455 2,35 18,05 % 1,00 0,67
Senegal African 10 408 192 2,61 62,05 % 1,00 1,00
Sierra Leone African 9 311 355 data n/a 42,07 % 0,00 1,00
Togo African 9 398 240 2,09 59,33 % 1,74 1,00
Uganda African 10 138 74 data n/a 58,60 % 1,75 1,00