By: Maltiti Sayida Sadick
The Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, hosted former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn at the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra for a lecture on “AfCFTA as a Catalyst for Agenda 2026.” The event also marked the signing of an agreement between AfCFTA and Trademark Africa.
Mene emphasized the importance of partnerships in navigating the changing geopolitical and economic landscape, highlighting the potential impact of a return of the Trump administration in the U.S., with implications for Africa’s trade relations. He stressed that with 49 countries ratifying the AfCFTA, the continent has a strong foundation to build supply chains and foster intra-Africa trade.
Mene also pointed to successes such as Nigeria diversifying its export markets towards Africa and the establishment of a private sector unit focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those led by women. He noted improvements in infrastructure and customs systems as part of AfCFTA’s progress.
In his remarks, Desalegn Boshe, Chair of Trademark Africa, discussed the slow pace of intra-Africa trade, which currently accounts for just 15% of the continent’s total trade. He contrasted this with Asia’s intra-regional trade share of over 50%, stressing the need for further efforts to boost regional integration. Despite a 200% increase in Africa’s total merchandise exports between 2017 and 2023, intra-Africa trade grew by just 27%, from $140 billion to $190 billion.
The event underscored the ongoing efforts to strengthen Africa’s economic integration through AfCFTA and strategic partnerships.
