By Ephraim Ofori Numosuor
In a world increasingly defined by economic power plays and strategic alliances, Africa cannot afford to remain a continent of isolated economies. The recent imposition of tariffs by the United States on a range of imports, including those from Africa, has sparked individual responses from various African nations. But these solo retaliations, though driven by national interest, miss a far more powerful opportunity: the chance to rise as one voice through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This is not the time for fragmented diplomacy. It is time for a united economic front.
The United States has long used its economic muscle to shape global trade rules to its advantage. For decades, African countries, often negotiating alone, have had to take what’s offered, rather than bargain for what’s fair. But things have changed. Africa is not the same continent it was fifty years ago. With a population of over 1.4 billion and a combined GDP exceeding $3.4 trillion, Africa is no longer just a market to be exploited; it is a market with leverage, if only it acts together.
AfCFTA is the most ambitious economic project Africa has undertaken since its independence. It is a chance to rewrite the rules of trade, not only among ourselves but with the world. Yet, even as the ink dries on agreements and trade barriers begin to fall within Africa, we still approach global challenges, like U.S. tariffs, with the same disjointed strategies of the past.
This has to stop.
If Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa each issue independent responses to Washington’s tariffs, the U.S. will not blink. But if the African Union, through AfCFTA, presents a single, well-reasoned, and firm response; backed by the promise of continental cooperation and collective bargaining, then the conversation changes. The U.S. will no longer be talking to a scattered choir, but a unified orchestra.
The truth is this: retaliatory tariffs by single African countries mean little to a superpower like the United States. But a coordinated response, a refusal to be divided, a strategy backed by shared interests and pooled resources, would send a message: Africa is no longer a pawn in global trade games. We are players. And we’re playing to win.
But unity isn’t just about tariffs. It’s about creating our own value chains, reducing reliance on imports, and increasing intra-African trade. It’s about leveraging our shared resources, oil, minerals, agriculture, and human capital, through regional cooperation. If the U.S. can impose tariffs without fearing African reprisal, it’s because we’ve yet to recognize the strength of our own collective hand.
Let’s not forget: economic integration is not merely a technical policy. It is a political choice. A bold one. One that demands vision, leadership, and a willingness to break from the colonial patterns of economic dependency. If our leaders can summon that courage now, in this moment of external pressure, we might look back one day and say: it was the U.S. tariffs that finally pushed Africa into economic maturity.
This is a defining moment. Either we continue to play small, reacting in silos, or we rise together, using AfCFTA not just as a trade agreement, but as a shield, a sword, and a statement of our collective future.
The world is watching. Africa must choose wisely.
