Accra, Ghana//- The Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, today urged businesses in Ghana and their counterparts across the continent to actively participate in the upcoming Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), which is expected to be held in Algiers, Algeria, from 4th to 10th September.
According to him, all businesses, whether they are looking to exhibit their excellence, source new suppliers, find investment, or simply explore the vast potential of the African continental market, to actively participate in IATF2025.
Mr Mene made this known when he delivered a keynote address at the Ghana IATF2025 Business Roadshow in Accra.
“It is your gateway to forging new partnerships, securing lucrative deals, and playing your part in building a truly integrated and prosperous Africa. So, let us work together to make IATF2025 the most successful edition yet. The future of African trade is unfolding, and it is happening now”.
Why does IATF2025 matter so profoundly to us?
He explained that it is because Africa’s path to genuine, inclusive prosperity depends on stronger trade performance, a fundamental prerequisite for lifting its people out of poverty.
“But, for too long, Africa’s share of world trade has stagnated at just around 3%. While other regions trade extensively within themselves, Europe at 70%, Asia at 60%, North America at 40%, intra-African trade accounts for just about 15%.
However, this figure likely understates the true scale of Africa’s internal trade, given the prevalence of informal cross-border activity, data gaps, and the limited capture of trade in services”.
More importantly, the AfCFTA Secretariat, Mr Mene noted, is driving a decisive shift in Africa’s economic destiny. The AfCFTA is designed to transform the continent’s economic landscape by fostering regional and continental value chains, accelerating industrialisation, and enhancing our global competitiveness, he added.
“Historically, our trade has often been extractive, sending raw materials abroad only to re-import finished goods. The AfCFTA is fundamentally changing this paradigm.
By dismantling trade barriers, reducing tariffs and eliminating non-tariff barriers, and fostering production networks, we are incentivising industries to specialise, process, and add value on the continent”.
This means more intermediate goods and finished products moving across African borders, fostering economies of scale and diversifying our economies away from volatile commodity dependence, he stated.
Mr Mene indicated that they are also actively working to attract cross-border investments into key sectors like agro-processing, mining, energy, and manufacturing, ensuring higher value addition within Africa.
Furthermore, standardisation of regulations and customs processes is essential, strengthening regional value chains (RVCs) by ensuring seamless compliance.
The AfCFTA places high priority on building and strengthening robust regional infrastructure and connectivity, which will significantly reduce transportation costs.
This strategic focus supports the growth of key sectors, such as the automotive industry, where regional hubs are emerging, and agribusiness, which holds immense potential for inclusive growth, job creation, and poverty reduction.
“By developing these interconnected regional value chains, we can drive technology transfer and skills development, strengthen food security and reduce post-harvest losses, while diversifying our economies.
Achieving this vision requires robust public-private partnerships and strong backing from development finance institutions like Afreximbank. At the centre of these efforts is the AfCFTA, providing a unified framework to align actions and accelerate progress across the continent”.
Mr Mene told participants at the well-attended gathering that IATF2025 is where this vision is translated into practical reality. It is the direct marketplace for this dynamic interaction.
He assured that at IATF2025, the AfCFTA Secretariat would also be present with their dedicated pavilion, showcasing the significant achievements of the Agreement so far.
This pavilion, according to him, would serve as a direct resource, offering guidance on navigating the AfCFTA, highlighting opportunities, and connecting businesses with the tools they need to thrive.
For the Ghanaian public and private sectors
“For the Ghanaian public and private sectors, for our financial institutions, and relevant trade and industry associations, this roadshow is designed to equip you.
You will gain vital information about the comprehensive suite of Afreximbank products and facilities available to you, enabling you to fully seize the opportunities offered under the AfCFTA. Moreover, this is an important step in initiating a pipeline of concrete trade and investment deals; deals that could be announced and celebrated during IATF2025 itself”.
Prepare to be at IATF2025
In his welcome address, Chairman and Group CEO of Oakwood Green Africa and IATF2025 Ambassador, Gabriel Edgal, said for years, Afreximbank, together with its partners, has been working to ensure that the doors are not only opened, but that businesses can walk through them.
Through platforms such as the Mansa platform for due diligence, Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) for easy cross-border payments, among many others.
But these tools, he noted, are only as powerful as “our decision to know them and to use them”.
The IATF gives us this opportunity to know about the possibilities out there. We now know what is available from Afreximbank, and what is available from our neighbours”.
The Managing Director, Research & Group Chief Economist of Afreximbank, Dr Yemi Kale, reiterated that the Intra-African Trade Fair is not a side event to Africa’s development—it is a central lever.
“It gives us the tools to connect ambition to capital, policy to productivity, and markets to manufacturers. Let us seize this moment. Let us prepare, mobilise, and lead. And let us ensure that when Africa gathers in Algiers this September, Ghana is at the heart of the conversation—and the front of the opportunity”.
Business Roadshow
Instructively, the Ghana IATF2025 Business Roadshow is one of several events planned across the continent, ahead of the IATF2025 that will be held in Algiers, Algeria, from 4 – 10 September 2025.
The IATF2025 is the fourth edition of IATF, Africa’s premier trade and investment event that is held biennially by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
The IATF2025 is expected to be a landmark event, bringing together over 2,000 exhibitors and more than 35,000 visitors from over 140 countries. The fair is projected to generate upwards of US$44 billion in trade and investment deals, highlighting its critical role in boosting intra-African commerce.
