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Africa’s largest trade and investment gathering, the 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), opened in Algiers on Thursday with strong calls for accelerated intra-African trade, investment, and innovation as key drivers of sustainable development and youth empowerment.
Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who officially opened the fair, urged African nations to scale up cross-border trade and investments to create opportunities for the continent’s young people.
He said Africa’s prosperity depended on industrial growth, regional collaboration, and infrastructure development.
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President Tebboune highlighted several strategic projects underway in Algeria aimed at boosting continental integration, particularly in infrastructure development.
He called for urgent solutions to Africa’s transportation challenges, stressing that “without efficient transport networks, trade between our nations will remain costly and limited.
Africa must connect internally if we are to unlock its full potential.”
Afreximbank President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, speaking at what marked his last IATF opening in his current role, described the fair as a symbol of Africa’s economic awakening.
He argued that while the continent had largely won its political independence, its new struggle was for economic empowerment.
“Political independence without economic empowerment would be nothing but glorified servitude,” Oramah said.
“The revolutionaries of today are not trained in military camps but in technical schools and universities. This new battle will be fought on factory floors and in tech incubation centres, not in trenches.”
Oramah pointed to success stories from previous editions, including the US$2.9 billion Rufiji Hydropower Project in Tanzania, fully executed by African firms; a Nigerian drone innovator who secured international investors after showcasing at IATF; and Comoros’ landmark five-star resort deal.
He also announced the creation of an independent IATF entity, to be headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe, with Afreximbank providing US$28 million in start-up capital.
The new body will oversee the institutionalisation of the fair, ensuring continuity and growth.
African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson, Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, added that the IATF was vital for achieving Agenda 2063 goals.
She called for Africa to move beyond exporting raw materials and instead focus on value addition, green industrialisation, and inclusive prosperity.
This year’s IATF, themed “Boosting Intra-African Trade for a Sustainable Future: Innovation, Value Addition, and Green Industrialization,” is expected to attract more than 30,000 visitors, 1,000 exhibitors, with 48 participating countries.
It features investment forums, policy dialogues, and dedicated pavilions for youth and women entrepreneurs.
Nigeria has been confirmed as host of the next IATF in 2027, as Africa continues to build momentum toward a more integrated and resilient continental economy.
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