On January 24, 2026 in Addis Ababa, Wamkele Mene, Director-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, urged African countries to strengthen their domestic market amid global trade fragmentation and supply chain disruptions. With Africa operating with 42 different currencies and accounting for less than 3 % of global trade, he highlighted the $150 billion annual infrastructure financing needs identified by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the importance of unlocking around $800 billion in underutilized domestic capital to boost intra-African commerce.
AfCFTA, ratified by 47 countries, is now moving into an implementation phase focused on lowering infrastructure, logistics and financing costs for young and small businesses.
