Ama Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission (AUC), has highlighted that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) cannot fully achieve its goals as the continent’s single market without allowing the free movement of people.
Speaking at the African Prosperity Dialogues under the theme “Empowering SMEs, women and youth in Africa’s single market,” she compared a single market without mobility to “a marketplace with locked doors.”
She explained that unrestricted movement would enable African youth to access opportunities, gain skills, participate in larger labour markets, and drive innovation across borders.
“When people move, ideas move. When ideas move, economies grow. Unfortunately, movement across the continent remains limited. The biggest obstacle to Africa’s integration is not geography but restrictions,” she said.
Twum-Amoah pointed out that while AfCFTA provides a framework for continental trade, it cannot succeed in practice without people to drive it. Goods do not transport themselves, services cannot expand without skilled labour, and investments require mobility.
She also highlighted the crucial role of women in informal and cross-border trade, noting that many operate in precarious and unsafe conditions due to barriers and weak protection mechanisms.
“African women are the backbone of cross-border trade, yet too many face risk and uncertainty. Removing these barriers is essential not only for women but for the continent’s growth,” she said.
Twum-Amoah urged African leaders to prioritise mobility as both an economic necessity and a matter of gender equity, stressing that easing movement for women would remove obstacles to broader economic development.
“Free movement is therefore a dual imperative: it drives economic progress and ensures gender fairness,” she concluded.