The Africa Prosperity Network (APN) says its continental petition for a borderless Africa has crossed 100,000 signatures within two weeks of its formal launch, as the organisation prepares a new webinar to outline a 2028 delivery scorecard and a structured citizen mobilisation framework ahead of a planned presentation to African heads of state.
Prince Moses Ofori-Atta, Communications Director of the APN, made the disclosure on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday, where he discussed the organisation’s “Make Africa Borderless Now!” campaign and the steps it plans to take before the 40th African Union (AU) Assembly in February 2027.
The APN formally launched the campaign at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues held from February 4 to 6 in Accra under the patronage of President John Dramani Mahama, with a 12-pillar roadmap designed to accelerate implementation of existing African Union agreements and protocols. The campaign is targeting more than 10 million signatures from across the continent and the global diaspora.
Abuja Treaty Deadline Looms
Prince Moses drew attention to the Abuja Treaty, which laid out a long-term roadmap for an African Economic Community including free movement of people and goods. He noted that the deadline set under the treaty is now less than two years away, yet only a small number of African countries have ratified the key protocols needed to give the commitments legal force.
He framed the campaign as a direct response to the gap between Africa’s stated ambitions and the pace of actual reform, pointing to the contrast between integrated economies such as the United States, China and the European Union and the continued fragmentation of a continent with comparable population and resource endowments.
Cost of Doing Business Across Africa
Prince Moses highlighted cross-border payments as one of the most concrete barriers to intra-African trade, noting that businesses frequently have to convert local currencies into international reserve currencies such as the US dollar before completing transactions with partners in neighbouring African countries.
“Africa pays billions of dollars in conversion costs just to trade with itself. That makes no economic sense,” he said. He pointed to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) as an existing mechanism that could allow businesses to trade across borders in local currencies, reducing transaction costs for small and medium enterprises.
Webinar to Track Implementation Progress
The APN is convening an online discussion ahead of Ghana’s 69th Independence Day to assess progress on the integration agenda. Speakers confirmed for the webinar include APN Chairman Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, former African Union Commission Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Pan-Africanist Samia Nkrumah and former Ghanaian parliamentarian Ras Mubarak. The event will present the 2028 delivery scorecard and develop a mobilisation framework to guide citizen engagement with the borderless Africa movement in the coming months.
