AfCFTA Must Move from Negotiation to Implementation, Leaders Urge
ADDIS ABABA – The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) must now pivot decisively from negotiation to implementation to deliver tangible benefits to the continent’s 1.4 billion people, leaders have declared following a high-level meeting in Ethiopia.
The call to action came during the Inaugural Committee Meeting of Heads of State and Government on the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, held in Addis Ababa. Chaired by [Name of Chairperson, if known, otherwise use: the Chairperson of the meeting], the session underscored the urgent need to translate the landmark trade agreement into concrete economic outcomes.
By consolidating African markets, the AfCFTA is positioned to lay the foundation for a structural economic transformation across the continent. Officials noted that the framework is designed to accelerate industrialization, deepen local value addition, and drive broad-based growth at a continental scale.
“The potential is immense,” stated the Chair during the meeting. Projections shared with the committee indicate that the AfCFTA could increase intra-African trade by up to $3 trillion and raise the continent’s cumulative GDP by approximately $1.4 trillion between 2021 and 2045.
However, leaders cautioned that this promise will only be realized through disciplined execution and sustained political leadership. The committee emphasized that moving forward, the focus must shift entirely to implementation strategies that ensure the trade zone directly improves the lives of African citizens and fosters resilient economic development.
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