African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary-General Wamkele Mene declared at the Africa Investment and Trade Conference in Algiers (AFIC12) on May 9 that the continental trade bloc has crossed a defining threshold, shifting from years of negotiations into active implementation with legal instruments and operational frameworks now in place.
Addressing government officials, business leaders and investors at AFIC12, Mene said the focus has moved decisively toward ensuring African businesses, particularly private sector operators, can fully utilise the opportunities the AfCFTA creates across the continent’s integrated market.
“The AfCFTA is no longer only about negotiations. We are now in the phase of implementation, where the instruments and mechanisms required to facilitate trade and private sector participation are increasingly being operationalised,” he said.
Mene stressed that the agreement is designed to drive industrialisation, boost intra-African trade and strengthen regional value chains, positioning the continent to reduce dependence on external markets amid a global environment marked by geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions.
A central theme of his address was inclusive trade. Mene argued that women, youth and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) must be better integrated into continental trade frameworks and given meaningful access to the AfCFTA preferential market if the agreement is to deliver sustainable growth and job creation.
He commended Algeria for its progress in implementing the AfCFTA and highlighted the country’s strategic importance as a gateway connecting Africa to regional and global markets.
The Secretary-General’s participation at AFIC12 reflects growing momentum behind AfCFTA implementation and a broader continental commitment to building an integrated and globally competitive African economic bloc.
