{"id":6411,"date":"2026-06-02T12:53:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stakebridgeirpr.com\/media\/?p=6411"},"modified":"2026-06-02T12:53:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:53:05","slug":"afcfta-secretariat-drives-biashara-afrika-from-trade-dialogue-to-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stakebridgeirpr.com\/media\/afcfta-secretariat-drives-biashara-afrika-from-trade-dialogue-to-action\/","title":{"rendered":"AfCFTA Secretariat Drives Biashara Afrika From Trade Dialogue To Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Johnson Emmanuel\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The third edition of Biashara Afrika 2026, hosted by the Government of Togo and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Lom\u00e9 from May 18-20, brought together heads of state, ministers, investors, entrepreneurs, development institutions and small businesses to accelerate implementation of AfCFTA. The forum shifted attention from trade protocols to practical barriers affecting movement of goods, services, capital and people. A major outcome was Togo’s decision to grant visa-free entry of up to 30 days for African passport holders following concerns raised by Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, over entry restrictions faced by African delegates attending the summit.<\/p>\n

DECISION HIGHLIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Biashara Afrika 2026 demonstrated a growing transition in AfCFTA implementation from policy formulation to operational reforms, with mobility, trade facilitation, digital payments and business connectivity emerging as immediate priorities.<\/p>\n

DECISION MEMO <\/strong><\/p>\n

The most consequential development in Lom\u00e9 was not another endorsement of AfCFTA principles but evidence that implementation challenges are increasingly receiving policy attention.<\/p>\n

Since trading commenced under AfCFTA in 2021, progress has often been measured by treaty ratifications and institutional frameworks. Biashara Afrika 2026 highlighted a different reality: Africa’s trade challenge is no longer primarily legal; it is operational.<\/p>\n

The visa controversy raised by Oduwole exposed a contradiction at the heart of continental integration. While African governments support a single market agenda, mobility restrictions continue to impede the movement of entrepreneurs, investors and business travellers required to make such a market functional.<\/p>\n

The rapid response by Faure Gnassingb\u00e9, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, and the subsequent visa liberalisation announcement suggest that policy forums can function as implementation accelerators when political leaders are directly confronted with practical obstacles.<\/p>\n

The summit also reinforced the growing convergence between AfCFTA’s integration agenda and private-sector-led development models. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, stated that: “AfCFTA is no longer an aspiration; it is a functioning instrument of integration, powered by institutions, backed by political will, and increasingly owned by the private sector.”<\/p>\n

That position aligns with the Africapitalism philosophy championed by Tony Elumelu, Chairman of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which argues that African entrepreneurs and long-term investors should drive economic transformation across the continent. The renewed partnership between the AfCFTA Secretariat and the International Trade Centre (ITC) reflects this shift towards enabling commercially viable opportunities for businesses rather than merely promoting integration rhetoric.<\/p>\n

A recurring theme throughout the forum was that Africa’s low intra-African trade performance stems less from tariffs and more from logistics bottlenecks, border delays, fragmented payment systems, mobility restrictions and inadequate trade infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The disclosure by Dr Hortense Me, Executive Secretary of the AfCFTA Abidjan-Lagos Corridor, that 41 official checkpoints exist between Abidjan and Lagos illustrates how non-tariff barriers continue to undermine the economic promise of continental integration.<\/p>\n

Biashara Afrika therefore signalled a broader recognition that AfCFTA’s success will be determined not by agreements signed but by barriers removed.<\/p>\n

DATA BOX<\/strong><\/p>\n