World Applied Sciences Journal 30 (11): 1515-1525, 2014 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2014.30.11.13695 Corresponeding Author: Stephen Nabareseh, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Faculty of Economics and Management Nam. T.G. Masaryka 3050, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic. 1515 Can Business-to-Consumer Electronic Commerce Be a Game-Changer in Anglophone West African Countries? Insights from Secondary Data and Consumers' Perspectives Stephen Nabareseh and Christian Nedu Osakwe Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Faculty of Economics and Management Nam. T.G. Masaryka 3050, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic Abstract: Business-to-Consumer electronic commerce (B2C eCommerce) is transforming business all over the world and significantly increasing the GDPs of several economies. The upsurge of B2C eCommerce in developing countries has been rather slow. Sub-Saharan African economies have been hugely affected by the slow pace of B2C eCommerce adoption. Countries in the Anglophone block of West Africa have their first share of obstacles narrowing their full uptake of B2C eCommerce. This paper (1) reviews the basic features of electronic requirements found in Anglophone West African countries that affect the development of B2C eCommerce, (2) assesses some aspects of how B2C eCommerce could lead to free trade activities and (3) proffers areas of concentration to promote B2C eCommerce activities in the sub-region. The paper carefully analyses secondary data on Anglophone West African countries and primary data collected from citizens of the two influential Anglophone countries, Ghana and Nigeria. Key words: Electronic Business eCommerce Anglophone West Africa ECOWAS Developing Countries B2C INTRODUCTION barriers to eCommerce, yet pragmatic substantiation in the Electronic commerce (eCommerce) appears to be development [1]. revolutionizing the global business landscape given the That eCommerce is widely perceived as the tool that way and manner in which modern-day businesses are holds the ace to unlocking myriads of business conducted bearing in mind changing consumers’ opportunities as well as creating unique customer value dynamics in a hyper-connected world. eCommerce propositions is no longer news, but what really counts is debatably draws a huge possibility of adding greater how nations and in particular organizations; strategically value to businesses, customers and consumers in align themselves to deploy it in order to gain a strong developing countries compared to developed countries foothold on the integrated global marketplace and in [1]. However, business companies, customers and tandem grow their local economies. The rapid uptake of consumers in developing countries fall short of garnering eCommerce across various segments in the globe has the full benefits offered by the current level of eCommerce provided ample opportunities for organizations to extend using contemporary information and communication their businesses beyond their geographical boundaries technologies. Most developing countries have undergone [2]. and still experience some challenges electronically and Due to advancement in the Internet, eCommerce has other forms precluding them from harnessing the full further reduced international trade bottlenecks and potential of eCommerce. Numerous articles and reports boundaries since firms can reach their global consumers have engaged in promoting models to overcome these directly [3]. The percentage of the world population using developing world is apparently behind theoretical