Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called for urgent dismantling of trade barriers across Africa, emphasizing that accelerated economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area represents the continent’s strongest response to global geopolitical turbulence.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s African Team Strategic Meeting at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra on Wednesday, Akufo-Addo positioned Africa’s economic integration under AfCFTA as the most potent response to global turbulence.
The former President stressed that once fully operational, AfCFTA would create a unified market of 1.5 billion people with a combined GDP of $3.5 trillion, providing unprecedented opportunities for industrial expansion and intra-African trade growth.
“Fragmentation keeps us weak. Integration makes us strong,” Akufo-Addo declared during his keynote address at the meeting themed “The world in times of geopolitical changes and its effect on the African continent and international cooperation.”
He argued that lowering trade barriers, harmonizing standards, and investing in cross-border infrastructure would create an African economy capable of attracting investment on favorable terms while reducing dependence on volatile external markets.
The former President linked economic integration directly to Africa’s migration challenges, noting that AfCFTA’s potential for job creation could encourage young Africans to remain on the continent rather than seeking opportunities abroad where they often encounter hostility.
“AfCFTA can boost intra-African trade, expand industrialisation, and reduce dependence on volatile external markets and, by so doing, encourage our young people to remain here and be the drivers of change,” he emphasized.
Akufo-Addo praised KAS for its contributions to Ghana’s democratic development since establishing operations in the country in 1966, supporting civil society, academia, traditional and religious leaders, and policy research initiatives.
He urged the German foundation to prioritize Africa’s economic integration agenda, stating that KAS could become “an even more important ally” by focusing resources on supporting AfCFTA implementation across the continent.
The former President observed that Africa stands at a critical juncture in the global order, where great power rivalries present both opportunities and risks that require decisive continental action to avoid becoming an arena for external competition.
“Integration is not just an economic imperative—it is a strategic shield against dependency, exploitation, marginalisation and gross indignity,” Akufo-Addo stated, highlighting the geopolitical dimensions of economic cooperation.
His remarks come as AfCFTA implementation continues progressing, with the secretariat headquartered in Accra working to operationalize the agreement that entered into force in January 2021.
The trade area represents one of the flagship projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 development framework, designed to boost intra-African trade from its current level of approximately 15 percent to 25 percent by 2040.
Akufo-Addo emphasized the need to channel both internally generated and externally mobilized capital toward AfCFTA’s vision, ensuring financial resources strengthen integration rather than perpetuating fragmentation across African economies.
His call reflects growing recognition among African leaders that regional integration offers the most viable pathway for continental development amid shifting global economic dynamics and increasing competition for investment capital.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
