Nigerian singer-songwriter and entrepreneur Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, has called for the removal of barriers hindering movement, trade, and entrepreneurship across Africa, emphasizing that friction, not talent or ambition, is the continent’s greatest constraint.
Mr Eazi made the call at the Presidential & Business Leaders’ Dialogue, held on Day Three of the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD). The dialogue, held under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade,” took place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Friday, 6th February, 2026.
Mr Eazi cited the challenges he faced as an artist touring the continent, recounting an experience where he was stopped at the Kenyan border despite having been paid to perform, while his band members of other nationalities were allowed entry. “This speaks to the reality of friction that stops us from uniting, from being stronger, and from developing,” he said.
Over the past four years, Mr Eazi has channeled his entrepreneurial efforts into tackling the very barriers he experienced, investing in businesses that now operate in 19 African countries and process over 4 million transactions daily. He stressed that borders, as they currently function, impede payments, regulations, and the ability of SMEs, youth, women, and creatives to scale.
“Cooperation in Africa is not new—it is natural,” Mr Eazi said, noting that Africans have collaborated across borders economically since pre-colonial times. “The young generation under 35 doesn’t care about borders. We collaborate through the Internet, business, and creativity.”
Mr Eazi emphasized that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a historic opportunity to create a borderless Africa where trade, mobility, and business can flourish. “Much of the vision already exists. The treaties have been signed, the frameworks are in place. What remains is implementation,” he said, stressing that a connected Africa enables SMEs to grow into continental champions, women and youth to participate fully in the single market, and the continent to strengthen its global competitiveness.
On the economic potential of a unified continent, he noted that AfCFTA could bring together over 3 trillion USD in GDP, unlocking opportunities for millions of Africans. “If we make Africa borderless, Africa becomes unstoppable,” he said
Credit: Philip Abutiate
