International Trade and AfCFTA Consultant, Mr Louis Afful, has stressed that Africa’s trade agenda must go beyond survival and symbolism to drive real development across the continent.
Speaking in an interview on Bullet TV’s Business and Growth programme, Mr Afful said Africa’s trading activities should translate into industrial growth, job creation, and value addition if continental integration efforts are to be meaningful.
“Africa is not trading to survive; Africa is trading to develop. If trade does not translate into industrial growth, jobs, and value addition, then integration becomes symbolism, not transformation,” he stated.
Mr Afful also argued that Africa’s challenges are not rooted in a lack of policies, but rather in weak implementation frameworks.
“Africa does not suffer from a lack of policies; we suffer from a lack of pathways. We launch strategies without direction, implementation without continuity, and visions without systems,” he added.
According to the trade expert, deliberate alignment between policy, execution, and institutional systems is critical to unlocking the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and driving sustainable economic growth.
