Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, has projected that Africa will become a highly competitive global player within the next three decades, driven by the successful implementation of the AfCFTA trade pact.
Speaking on the third day of the African Prosperity Dialogue 2025, Mene emphasized the need for African governments to actively work towards reducing and eliminating trade barriers that hinder the free movement of goods and services across the continent.
“I believe that in 30 years, our continent will be very competitive in the world,” he stated. “We must reduce and eliminate barriers across Africa to help with the movement of goods and services,” he added.
The AfCFTA agreement, which is the world’s largest free trade area by the number of participating countries, connects 1.3 billion people across 55 nations with a combined GDP of US$3.4 trillion.
The pact is expected to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty, but its success hinges on the implementation of key policy reforms and trade facilitation measures.
It is seen that by reducing tariffs and addressing regulatory challenges such as sanitary standards and technical trade barriers, the agreement aims to foster a more integrated African economy.
Experts predict that full implementation of AfCFTA will transform regional markets, enhance economic growth, and significantly boost services, manufacturing, and natural resource sectors across the continent.
