Mr. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, has announced plans to adopt a unified trade policy across Africa to boost intra-continental trade. Speaking at the 13th Ghana Economic Forum in Accra, hosted by the Business and Financial Times, Mene outlined the Secretariat’s strategy for aligning member nations’ trade policies through various regional trade and investment protocols.

The Forum, themed “Unlocking Opportunities and Re-engineering Ghana’s Economic Model for Sustainable Development,” provided a platform for Mene to discuss the Secretariat’s progress. He highlighted several key protocols, including those for trading goods, competition, investment, and intellectual property, as well as the Protocol on Dispute Settlement, which aims to address trade and investment disputes among member states.

Mene emphasized that these protocols are part of a broader effort to create a unified trade policy for Africa. The final approval of these protocols by the assembly of member states is expected in February 2025, marking a significant step towards harmonizing trade policies across the continent.

Addressing food security concerns, Mene noted that despite Africa’s vast arable land, the continent remains a net importer of food. In 2020 alone, Africa imported over $50 billion worth of staple foods, exposing 60% of its population to food insecurity and inflation. To combat this, the African Union is working to enhance intra-African trade and share agricultural resources.

Mene also pointed out that Africa’s economic future depends on improving industrial capacity within member states. He cited the continent’s $16.5 billion import of pharmaceutical products in 2019, despite having the capability to produce these goods locally. To address this, the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has been tasked with boosting Africa’s pharmaceutical production capacity. Heads of State have already mobilized over $1 million to support these efforts.

Notable strides have been made with the establishment of vaccine manufacturing companies in countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, and Senegal, which are expected to significantly enhance Africa’s pharmaceutical capabilities.