The third edition of Biashara Afrika opened Monday in Lomé, Togo, gathering African ministers, investors and business leaders to accelerate the practical implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Togolese President of the Council of Ministers Faure Gnassingbe formally opened the three-day forum, which runs under the theme “Powering Africa’s Economic Transformation through the AfCFTA.” The event draws development partners and financial institutions alongside government and private sector representatives from across the continent.
Gnassingbe framed the gathering as a response to a rapidly shifting global order, pointing to rising protectionism, geopolitical tensions and the reorganisation of global supply chains as pressures African economies can no longer absorb in isolation.
“Africa must therefore strengthen its collective resilience,” he said.
The Togolese leader described AfCFTA as entering a new phase, one moving beyond aspiration toward concrete action. He insisted that Biashara, a Swahili word for trade, was designed as a platform for solutions and partnerships rather than a conventional talk-shop.
Delegates will examine how high-potential African enterprises can anchor regional industrialisation and value chains. Sessions will also address infrastructure gaps, the acceleration of digital trade and deepening public-private dialogue to unlock investment at scale.
The forum’s focus on practical delivery reflects a broader recognition that Africa’s 54 economies, operating individually, lack the critical mass to defend their interests in an era of intensifying bloc competition and economic nationalism.
