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Ministers responsible for Industry and Investment from the COMESA region have endorsed new regional instruments aimed at strengthening investment, deepening value chains, and accelerating industrialisation across the bloc.
The ministers also endorsed the revised COMESA Common Investment Area Agreement, the adoption of a new methodology for competitiveness building, and the approval of a green pharmaceutical manufacturing strategy running to 2035.
The decisions were made during the Fifth Ministerial Committee Meeting on Industry held virtually on September 8, 2026, according to a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday.
The meeting was held under the theme: “Leveraging Digitalisation to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth,” and concluded with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration.
Ministers also welcomed the launch of two EU-funded programmes focused on trade competitiveness and the circular economy, targeting MSMEs, quality infrastructure, plastics, packaging, electronics and e-waste.
COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, told the meeting that manufacturing must be prioritized to drive regional growth.
“Our immediate priority must be to accelerate manufacturing and value addition. By retaining more value within our economies, we strengthen resilience, increase export earnings, and create jobs for our growing young population,” Kapwepwe said.
The Secretary General reaffirmed that industrialisation remained central to the COMESA Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
“Industrialisation remains central to the COMESA Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2026–2030. We must invest in productive capacity, innovation, skills, technology and infrastructure to move beyond primary commodity exports,” she said.
Addressing implementation, the Secretary General called for coordinated action among member states and partners.
“Accelerating manufacturing and value addition will determine whether our region can build a competitive, diversified and job-creating economy,” she emphasized.
The revised CCIA Agreement was endorsed to modernize the regional investment framework and align it with the AfCFTA Protocol on Investment.
Member States committed to its domestication to promote responsible foreign direct investment and cross-border capital flows.
On competitiveness, the Committee adopted the COMESA Methodology for Regional Competitiveness Building Initiatives for Value Chains and Clusters.
“This methodology will support the diagnosis of priority regional value chains, identification of strategic options, and coordination of reforms through Regional Investment and Business Improvement Plans and White Books,” reads the statement.
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In the health sector, Ministers adopted the COMESA Green Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Strategy 2026–2035.
The strategy was designed to strengthen regional health-product manufacturing, improve market access, reduce import dependence, and embed climate resilience and resource efficiency.
The meeting also welcomed the Africa Trade Competitiveness and Access to Markets Programme (ATCMAP) and the Switch to Circular Economy Programme.
The ATCMAP would focus on market access, standards and MSME competitiveness, while SWITCH-2-CE will advance circular economy policy and finance.
Industry Ministers directed the COMESA Secretariat and specialised institutions to work closely with Member States and development partners to implement the decisions.
They further reaffirmed commitments to digital transformation, development of economic corridors, and cross-border industrial cooperation.
The Committee agreed that conformity assessment and standards will be critical to ensuring regional products can compete in continental and global markets.
The Fifth Ministerial Committee concluded that the adopted instruments provided a roadmap for the next phase of regional industrial action under COMESA.
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