APD26: Leaders call for deliberate action to build an inclusive AfCFTA

Distinguished African leaders and trade experts have called for deliberate and practical actions to ensure that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) delivers tangible benefits to women, youth, and small businesses across the continent.

The call was made during a high-level panel discussion on “Building an Inclusive AfCFTA” at the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD), held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

The panel brought together prominent figures in African trade, diplomacy, finance, and business, including former Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa; Professor Emerita and former Ghanaian Ambassador to Brazil, H.E. Prof. Abena Busia; Director of Regional Integration and Trade at the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Joy Kategekwa; President of the Africa Business Council, Dr. Amany Asfour; and Chief Executive Officer of Telecel Ghana, Patricia Obo-Nai.

Speaking at the session, H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa stressed the need for African governments to move beyond policy declarations and take intentional steps to ensure that small and medium enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth benefit meaningfully from the AfCFTA.

She noted that while AfCFTA protocols are important, they represent only the first stage of inclusive economic transformation.

“SMEs, women, and youth cannot remain generic categories. We must focus on the grassroots, the micro-entrepreneurs, and those who may not understand English or digital platforms,” Nsanzabaganwa said. “Governments must invest in them, handhold them, and create an ecosystem that allows them to thrive.”

She further emphasized the role of digital trade as a potential equalizer, urging governments to invest in digital platforms, payment interoperability, and capacity-building for grassroots entrepreneurs. According to her, collaboration between governments and the private sector, including rural and small-scale enterprises, is essential to removing barriers to trade.

Professor Emerita Abena Busia highlighted the importance of recognizing women’s agency and dignity within Africa’s trade architecture, particularly under the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade.

While describing the protocol as comprehensive, Prof. Busia cautioned that implementation remains the greatest challenge.

“We are very good at protocols and resolutions, but how do we follow through? What is the infrastructure to carry it out?” she asked, stressing that policies must translate into real-world impact.

She also pointed to structural inequalities in governance and legal frameworks, noting that women are often grouped with youth in ways that undermine their agency. Drawing parallels with post-World War II Germany’s constitutional principle that “human dignity is inviolable,” Prof. Busia called for reforms that protect women’s dignity in trade and economic participation.

Dr. Joy Kategekwa of the AfDB underscored the urgency of implementing the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, warning that without it, the AfCFTA risks becoming “an instrument to spectate at” rather than a driver of development.

She explained that the protocol shifts AfCFTA policy from a trickle-down model to a bottom-up approach, placing women and youth entrepreneurs at the center of trade policy.

“The Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade ensures that governments invest in entrepreneurs, resolve bottlenecks, and move trade from the margins to the mainstream,” Dr. Kategekwa said.

She noted that African women and youth are already active in intra-African trade, particularly in sectors such as textiles, leather, design, and jewelry. Citing examples from Chad, Kenya, and other countries, she said these enterprises have strong potential to scale if supported with improved access to finance, logistics, and markets.

Dr. Kategekwa added that the protocol was developed through extensive consultations across 28 African cities to understand the practical needs of women entrepreneurs and design targeted interventions.

President of the Africa Business Council, Dr. Amany Asfour, called for concrete steps to translate AfCFTA commitments into measurable economic outcomes. She outlined what she described as a “triad of empowerment,” consisting of personal empowerment programmes, policy advocacy, and product development.

“Personal empowerment programs are essential for women-led SMEs across all levels,” she said, citing the need for training, financial inclusion, knowledge-sharing, and capacity building.

On policy advocacy, Dr. Asfour urged governments to implement supportive procurement policies, citing Kenya’s model, in which 30 per cent of public procurement is reserved for SMEs, women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

She also stressed the importance of creating incentives that enable informal businesses to transition into the formal economy.

“How can women move from informal to formal without incentives, financial literacy, and good bookkeeping? The entire ecosystem must be supportive,” she said.

Patricia Obo-Nai, CEO of Telecel Ghana, drew attention to the digital divide facing women and youth, stressing that connectivity alone is insufficient without training, visibility, and access to markets.

Sharing a personal experience, she noted that consumer purchasing decisions are increasingly driven by online visibility rather than origin or ownership.

“My point is, women businesses lack visibility, they lack reach, and they need access,” she said.

According to Obo-Nai, although about 95 per cent of Africa’s population has mobile connectivity, only 32 per cent of women have access to the Internet, significantly limiting their participation in digital trade.

“It’s not enough to have digital access; women need to know how to leverage it, how to get their products into the feeds of potential buyers, and how to compete in a global market,” she added.

She disclosed that Telecel Ghana has rolled out targeted programmes to equip women with digital skills, improve product visibility, and strengthen networks, which she said are often less accessible to women due to competing work and family responsibilities.

The panelists collectively agreed that achieving an inclusive AfCFTA requires deliberate policy action, coordinated implementation, and sustained collaboration between governments, financial institutions, businesses, and development partners.

By: Bawa Musah

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