The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has questioned long-held statistics that suggest intra-African trade is lagging at just 15%, stating that the actual figure could be significantly higher due to unrecorded informal trade and gaps in services data.
Speaking at the Ghana Roadshow of the 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Accra, Mene argued that more accurate data could reveal a stronger performance, even as the continent pushes harder toward industrialisation and value addition.
“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,” he argued.
He said the AfCFTA is working to reverse Africa’s historical dependency on raw exports by promoting regional value chains, investing in industrial hubs, and pushing policies that prioritise intra-African production and trade.
“By dismantling trade barriers and eliminating non-tariff measures, we are incentivizing industries to specialize and add value here in Africa,” he opined.
The 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair, set to take place in Algiers this September, is expected to serve as a key platform for deals, investments, and strategic partnerships. The AfCFTA Secretariat will host its own pavilion at the fair, providing real-time guidance and showcasing the agreement’s impact.
“Africa’s path to genuine, inclusive prosperity depends on stronger trade performance. IATF2025 is where this vision is translated into practical reality,” he added.
