Vice President Opoku-Agyemang urges Africa to turn potential into prosperity at APD 2026

Accra, Ghana, Vice President of Ghana, Her Excellency Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has called on African countries to take deliberate steps toward inclusive economic transformation, emphasizing the need to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth to fully benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking at the opening of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2026 in Accra, she stressed that Africa’s future prosperity hinges on market integration, people-focused mobilization, and the implementation of long-standing continental commitments.

“A future that excludes young people, women, and small enterprises is not one we can afford to sleepwalk into. It is a belief that lies at the heart of a reset agenda, an agenda that seeks to move us from dependency to self-reliance, from fragmentation to integration, and from exporting potential to building prosperity at home. The vision of Africa as a single, integrated economic space remains unfinished, but what is at stake is clear: prosperity for Africa’s people,” she said.

The Vice President highlighted that while AfCFTA covers a market of over 1.3 billion people, SME participation remains limited, with fewer than 20 percent of small businesses engaged in export trade. She called for targeted policies to unlock cross-border trade and investment opportunities.

“Women make up nearly half of Africa’s workforce and are a major force in enterprise, especially in micro and small businesses. Our youth account for more than 60% of the continent’s population and are driving innovation across fintech and the creative industries. Yet this potential is not fully reflected in cross-border participation, as fewer than twenty percent of SMEs engage in export trade. At the same time, women and young people continue to face barriers to finance, mobility, and market access,” Professor Opoku-Agyemang noted.

She warned that without decisive action, African economies risk remaining in low-productivity cycles, exporting raw materials while importing finished goods, and losing talented youth to migration.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang further urged that Africa’s current momentum must be backed by strong institutions, good governance, and coordinated national and regional strategies. She cited Ghana’s 24-hour economy initiative and the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme as examples of steps aimed at boosting productivity, connectivity, and alignment with ECOWAS and African Union objectives.

“The task before us now is to convert this momentum into durable economic transformation. That requires clarity of focus in expanding intra-African trade, implementing industrial strategies that strengthen priority sectors, building skills, and supporting sustainable production. Behind all this, strong institutions and effective governance are essential to sustain progress and ensure that commitments made are commitments delivered,” she explained.

The Vice President concluded by urging African leaders and stakeholders to view integration as a pathway to shared prosperity rather than a loss of sovereignty, noting that the true measure of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026 will be the actions implemented long after the conference concludes.

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