Africa’s ambition to expand intra-continental trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) risks falling short without major investment in cross-border roads, railways and port facilities, President John Dramani Mahama has warned.
He said inadequate transport infrastructure continued to raise the difficulties of moving goods between African countries, limiting businesses’ ability to access new markets and benefit fully from the continent’s single-market initiative.
President Mahama made the remarks ahead of a planned bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he identified infrastructure development as a critical area for cooperation between Africa and its international partners.
“Even though we have passed what we call the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which makes the whole of Africa one market, we cannot get the full potential of the AfCFTA because we do not even have the infrastructure for trading amongst ourselves,” he said.
The President cited poor roads linking neighbouring countries, limited railway connections and inadequate port facilities as major gaps preventing African economies from trading more efficiently with one another.
For businesses, these infrastructure constraints can translate into higher transport costs, longer delivery times and greater uncertainty in moving goods across borders. Such costs can make products from one African country less competitive in another, even where tariff preferences under AfCFTA offer opportunities for cheaper trade.
The problem also affects manufacturers seeking to source raw materials from neighbouring countries, agricultural producers targeting regional markets and exporters attempting to expand distribution beyond their domestic economies.
Where transport networks are weak or poorly connected, businesses may find it more expensive to trade within Africa than to serve markets outside the continent, undermining efforts to build regional supply chains and increase the movement of African-produced goods.
President Mahama’s comments highlight the need to complement AfCFTA’s trade rules with the physical infrastructure required to make cross-border commerce commercially viable.
Road corridors, interconnected railway systems and efficient ports could help reduce the cost of transporting goods, improve delivery reliability and enable businesses to reach larger markets. Better connectivity could also support regional manufacturing by making it easier for companies to source inputs and distribute finished products across several countries.
For Ghana, improved regional transport links could strengthen the commercial position of local manufacturers, agro-processors and exporters seeking to serve markets across West Africa and beyond.
However, the benefits would depend on coordinated investment across borders, efficient customs procedures and the removal of other logistical bottlenecks that increase the cost of moving goods.
President Mahama called for stronger international partnerships to help address Africa’s infrastructure deficit, identifying Russia as a potential partner in the continent’s development.
He described Russia as a longstanding ally of Africa, citing its historical support for the continent’s struggles against colonialism and apartheid.
“Russia has been a friend and has expressed solidarity with Africa on very key issues. You took part in the fight against apartheid, advocacy against colonialism and so we see Russia as a true friend,” he said.
He added that closer cooperation between Africa and Russia could strengthen bilateral relations and advance shared development priorities.
For AfCFTA to deliver meaningful economic gains, the challenge is increasingly not only to establish a continental market but also to build the transport networks that allow businesses to trade across it efficiently.
Without sustained investment in roads, railways and ports, the agreement’s promise of a larger market for African goods could remain constrained by the high cost and difficulty of moving products between countries.
