The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, has called on Canadian investors and development institutions to deepen their engagement with African markets, warning that policy gains under the trade agreement risk going unrealised without stronger private sector participation.
Mene made the remarks during an official visit to Ottawa, where he participated in an “In Conversation” session bringing together stakeholders to assess trade opportunities and risks across the Canada-Africa corridor. He said closing the gap between policy implementation and on-the-ground business realities is critical as the global economic environment grows more complex.
Discussions focused on how producers, suppliers and investors can better integrate into African supply chains and capture the benefits of expanding intra-African trade. Participants pointed to syndicated trade finance and closer collaboration between Canadian development finance institutions, private equity firms and African Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) as practical mechanisms to reduce risk and unlock capital flows.
The AfCFTA framework was positioned throughout the session as a tool for converting longstanding trade barriers into investable opportunities. Sectors including logistics, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, energy and manufacturing were highlighted as priority areas where the agreement’s architecture could drive meaningful cross-border investment at scale.
Stakeholders also emphasised the need for investment-led partnerships, technology transfer and stronger private sector involvement. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), along with women-led and youth-led businesses, were identified as central to expanding trade volumes and ensuring that growth remains inclusive.
Participants further stressed the urgency of modernising customs systems and expanding digital trade infrastructure to support smoother cross-border transactions. Strengthening these systems, they said, would be essential to sustaining momentum in Canada-Africa trade relations and improving the overall efficiency of intra-African commerce.
