Mogadishu, Somalia — The Federation of Somali Trade Unions, led by Secretary-General Omar Faruk Osman, met AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene and delegation in the capital, Mogadishu. The meeting focused on Somalia’s implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and the role workers and trade unions can play in Africa’s broader economic integration continentwide. FESTU emphasized creating decent…
Solomon Owusu, Andrew Appiah Danquah file Petition for removal of AfCFTA Secretary-General over Xenophobia attacks in South Africa Political activist Solomon Owusu and lawyer Andrew Appiah-Danquah have filed a petition with the African Union (AU) seeking the removal of Wamkele Keabetswe Mene as Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat over concerns about…
Africa may have achieved political independence, but the continent’s biggest remaining challenge is economic liberation, according to the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). ALSO READ: Rwanda is where things get done, says AfCFTA’s Wamkele Mene Speaking at an international conference on Africa Day held in Kigali on Sunday, May 24,…
The Annual Retreat of the Group of African Ambassadors in China (GAAC), held in Beijing from 23 to 24 April 2026 on leveraging China’s 100% tariff-free offer to African countries, concluded on a strong and forward-looking note. GAAC Member States and participants underscored the importance of coordinated African approaches, supported by harmonised continental strategies and…
African policymakers, business leaders, and development institutions have renewed calls for visa-free travel across the continent, describing the free movement of people as essential to unlocking Africa’s economic transformation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The call was reinforced at a High-Level Symposium on Advancing a Visa-Free Africa for Economic Prosperity, co-convened by…
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has declared that Kenya and Nigeria is collaborating intentionally to develop cross-border production networks, industrial corridors, and investment partnerships that would reflect both countries strengths. This declaration was made yesterday by the President of LCCI, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, during the first “Kenya-Nigeria Trade and Investment Conference” that…
Addis Abeba — The Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration has announced that Ethiopia will commence duty-free exports to member states of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on Thursday, 9 October 2025. The move marks the country’s first official export operation under the AfCFTA framework. Speaking at a press briefing in Addis Abeba…
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into force on 1 January 2021 with 54 member states, is the world’s largest free trade area by number of countries. It aims to eliminate tariffs and other barriers to spur trade, industrialisation and value addition beyond raw materials. The agreement unites some 1.3 billion people…
The fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) opened yesterday in Algiers, Algeria, with a strong focus on accelerating the continent’s economic transformation through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Held under the theme :”Building Bridges for a Successful AfCFTA,” the weeklong event brings together over 1,600 exhibitors, 35,000 participants, and 75 country delegations. Organizers…
Africa’s continental free trade area offers long-term promise, but expecting it to quickly compensate for US trade losses may be unrealistic. There’s a lot of hype right now about how intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could replace the considerable loss of African exports to the United States (US) precipitated by…
