Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has issued a rallying call for Africa to end its chronic underperformance in global trade, warning that continued stagnation will keep the continent trapped in poverty.
Speaking in Accra at the IATF 2025 Roadshow on Tuesday, he said the state of Africa’s trade is unacceptable and must change.
“Africa’s share of world trade has stagnated at just around 3%. This cannot continue,” he declared. “We must bring this trade crisis to an end.”
He said other regions have made impressive strides in trading among themselves.
“Europe trades within itself at 70%, Asia at 60%, North America at 40%, but intra-African trade is still about 15%,” he said.
He acknowledged that the number may even be inflated due to informal trade and data gaps. “We have to be honest about the depth of the problem.”
Mene said reversing the trend is critical to lifting millions out of poverty and achieving inclusive prosperity.
“Africa’s path to genuine, inclusive prosperity depends on stronger trade performance,” he said. “It is a fundamental prerequisite for lifting our people out of poverty.”
He stressed that the AfCFTA was created to transform this outlook. “The AfCFTA is fundamentally changing this paradigm,” he said.
Credit: JOYONLINE