AfCFTA Secretary-General, Mene, calls for accelerated implementation of trade pact

AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, has urged African governments to step up implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, warning that non-tariff barriers and slow ratification of key protocols threatened the continent’s economic integration agenda.

Speaking at the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja on Wednesday, Mene said while the AfCFTA had made significant strides since its launch, greater urgency was needed to realise the vision of Africa’s founding leaders.

“We are under no illusion. Realising this vision fully requires more than agreements and protocols. Implementation must now be our driving focus,” Mene said during a plenary session on realising the vision of the African founders: Progress towards Africa’s trade and economic integration.

According to Mene, 49 African Union Member States have ratified the Agreement, representing 90.7 percent of signatories.

Trade under AfCFTA rules has commenced, supported by simplified customs procedures and the launch of operational tools such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, seeded by Afreximbank.

He added that 92 percent of negotiations on Rules of Origin have been concluded, while protocols on investment, digital trade, intellectual property, competition policy, and women and youth in trade have been adopted.

However, Mene warned that inadequate transport infrastructure, inefficient customs procedures, and delays in ratifying the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons were hampering the full implementation of the agreement, particularly in services trade.

“While trade in goods has taken the lead, the AfCFTA’s full promise depends on enabling people and businesses to move and operate seamlessly across borders,” he said.

Mene stressed the role of the private sector in driving Africa’s integration and called for greater investment in energy, digital infrastructure, and logistics to connect markets across the continent.

The AfCFTA, which aims to create a single market for goods and services across Africa’s 55 countries, covers a population of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately $3 trillion.

Mene praised Afreximbank’s support for the trade pact and acknowledged President Benedict Oramah for championing industrialisation and regional value chains through initiatives such as a $1 billion commitment to Africa’s automotive sector and other targeted sectoral support.

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