West Africa's cereal trade is far larger than official statistics suggest, according to a new analysis drawing on OECD and regional data. The report estimates that cereals account for around 13% of the region's intra-regional food trade, while a significant share of these transactions takes place through informal cross-border channels that are not captured in customs records. Around 84% of cereal trade is estimated to go unrecorded, underscoring the importance of informal markets in regional food distribution.

Among traded cereals, maize dominates recorded exchanges, followed by rice and wheat flour. Millet contributes about 7% of the recorded value of intra-regional cereal trade, with sorghum accounting for approximately 4%, reflecting their continued importance in Sahelian food systems and cross-border commerce. These grains regularly move from surplus-producing areas to neighbouring food-deficit markets, helping stabilize supplies throughout the region.

The report concludes that strengthening regional trade policies, improving transport infrastructure, and collecting more accurate trade data could enhance food security, market integration and resilience. Better recognition of informal millet and sorghum trade would also help governments design more effective agricultural and food policies across West Africa.