AfCFTA Secretariat Official

PRESS RELEASE: #BiasharaAfrika2026 concludes in Lomé, Togo, following three days of high-level dialogue, strategic partnerships and implementation-focused discussions aimed at advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Forum brought together policymakers, business leaders, financial institutions, SMEs, investors, women and youth entrepreneurs from across the continent and beyond to explore practical solutions to barriers limiting intra-African trade, strengthen regional value chains, mobilise investment and accelerate implementation under the AfCFTA. Read the full Press Release for key outcomes and next steps as momentum continues towards building a more integrated, competitive and prosperous African market. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket #AfCFTA

Following the successful conclusion of #BiasharaAfrika2026, H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Togo, to provide an update on the outcomes of the Forum and express appreciation for the support and partnership that contributed to its success. The engagement reflected a shared commitment to advancing Africa’s trade and integration agenda under the AfCFTA and strengthening collaboration towards deeper continental economic integration. #BA2026 #AfCFTA #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

Throughout Day 2 of #BiasharaAfrika2026, leaders, businesses, and stakeholders from across the continent came together to exchange ideas, share perspectives, and advance conversations shaping the future of African trade and integration. Revisit key moments from the plenary sessions driving dialogue on Africa’s trade agenda and the journey towards a more connected continental market. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket #AfCFTA

Throughout Day 2 of #BiasharaAfrika2026, leaders, businesses, and stakeholders from across the continent came together to exchange ideas, share perspectives, and advance conversations shaping the future of African trade and integration. Revisit key moments from the plenary sessions driving dialogue on Africa’s trade agenda and the journey towards a more connected continental market. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket #AfCFTA

On the margins of Biashara Afrika 2026, H.E. Wamkele Mene held discussions with Madam Florizelle Liser, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa, on the future of Africa–U.S. trade and investment relations. The discussions focused on opportunities to move beyond the current non-reciprocal AGOA framework towards a more strategic, investment-led partnership anchored on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Emphasis was placed on strengthening market access, expanding trade in services, deepening digital and financial integration, and unlocking greater value addition in critical minerals and industrial processing. The meeting also underscored the importance of leveraging the AfCFTA as a unified continental platform for engagement, enabling Africa to negotiate from a position of greater coherence, scale, and strategic alignment. Both sides highlighted the need for forward-looking partnerships that support sustainable industrialisation, regional value chain development, innovation, and long-term economic transformation across the continent. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

On the margins of the AfCFTA Inaugural Conference on Competition Policy and Law currently underway in Lomé, Togo, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, held a bilateral meeting with the Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mr. František Růžička. H.E. Mene expressed appreciation for the OECD’s sustained partnership and valuable support to the AfCFTA. Both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening collaboration in advancing the effective implementation of the AfCFTA. They further agreed to streamline engagement and enhance coordination to ensure the efficiency of ongoing and future cooperation initiatives in particular in the area of competition and investment.

On the margins of Biashara Afrika 2026, H.E. Wamkele Mene met with Professor Cheryl Hendricks, the new Director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town. He used the opportunity to congratulate Professor Hendricks on assuming her new role and conveyed his appreciation for the important role being played by the Nelson Mandela School in supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, particularly through capacity-building initiatives and regional value chain programmes. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

#BiasharaAfrika2026 closed on a note of conviction and momentum. In his closing remarks, H.E. Wamkele Mene. expressed his appreciation to the governments, financial institutions, and private sector leaders who came together to move beyond dialogue and deliver practical solutions that will strengthen intra-African trade and support African businesses. He highlighted landmark outcomes from the forum: 🤝 The launch of the Africa Trade and Distribution Company, strengthening continental trade networks and expanding market access for SMEs 🌍 Renewed momentum on logistics, trade finance, connectivity, and cross-border trade facilitation He particularly expressd his gratitude to the Government and people of Togo for their generous hospitality, and commended the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Republic of Togo, for his decisive leadership, including eliminating the requirement for African passport holders, a concrete and meaningful step toward deeper continental integration. Implementation, partnership, and private sector leadership are what will drive Africa's economic transformation and advance the One African Market. The forum is over. The work continues. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

[SPONSORED] Day 1 of the #BiasharaConference kicks off today! CNBC Africa's Keamo Mosepele is on the ground bringing you the stories, the deals, and the voices shaping Africa's trade future. Stay tuned for more updates. #BA26 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket @AfCFTA

[ICYMI] Africa's trade dialogue took centre stage in Lomé yesterday. Day 1 of the 3rd edition of the Biashara Afrika Conference 2026 opened with a landmark ceremony and set the tone with keynote addresses and panel discussions that put industrial development, intra-African trade, and economic transformation firmly on the table. This is the conversation that matters. And CNBC Africa is bringing it to you, live from Togo. #BA26 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket @AfCFTA

[ICYMI] What does it take to build a competitive automotive industry across 54 countries? At the Biashara Afrika Conference 2026 in Lomé, Togo, CNBC Africa's Godfrey Mutizwa moderated a landmark session on driving Africa's automotive future through the AfCFTA, featuring Tarek Ismail Moaasaad, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Middle East & Africa. With robust rules of origin already in place and one of the world's largest OEMs at the table, the roadmap for Africa's auto sector is taking shape. CNBC Africa was in the room. #BA26 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket @AfCFTA

[SPONSORED] We went beyond the sessions and onto the exhibition floor at the Biashara Afrika Conference 2026 in Lomé, Togo, hearing directly from entrepreneurs and creatives showing up for Africa's single market vision. The excitement about Africa's trade potential is undeniable, but the conversation doesn't shy away from the work still ahead. #BA26 #creatingoneafricanmarket @AfCFTA

[ICYMI] Business by day. Legacy by night. The Biashara Afrika Night, held on the sidelines of the 3rd Biashara Afrika Forum at the Palais des Congrès in Lomé, Togo, brought together public and private sector leaders in an exclusive setting to celebrate intra-African trade partnerships and deepen the connections that make the AfCFTA vision a reality. Convened by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Government of Togo, this was more than a gala. It was a statement about what a united, prosperous Africa looks like in motion. CNBC Africa was there for every moment. #BA26 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket @AfCFTA

[ICYMI] The AfCFTA Secretariat and Ecobank Group have signed a landmark MoU at the Biashara Afrika Forum 2026 in Lomé, Togo, a defining moment for Africa's economic integration. Building on Ecobank's US$3 billion trade finance commitment, this partnership is designed to close Africa's trade finance gap; equip SMEs, women-led businesses and youth entrepreneurs with the tools to compete; and connect buyers and sellers across the AfCFTA Single Market, a market of over 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately $3.4 trillion. The AfCFTA framework is not just policy on paper. It is being activated, deal by deal, partnership by partnership. #BA26 ##CreatingOneAfricanMarket @AfCFTA

[ICYMI] Biashara Afrika 2026: Powering Africa's Economic Transformation through the AfCFTA The success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will depend not only on reducing tariffs but on Africa’s ability to build the production, aggregation, and distribution systems required to move goods efficiently across the continent. This plenary will explore the critical role of trading companies, aggregators, Special Economic Zones, and distribution networks in operationalising Africa’s single market. 🔗CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO CATCH UP: cnbcafrica.pulse.ly/26ruwesqbm #BA26 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket @AfCFTA

Day 1 of Biashara Afrika 2026 opened with a shared sense of purpose and possibility as policymakers, businesses, entrepreneurs, and partners came together with one goal: building a truly continental market for Africa. Here is a look back at some of the key moments from the day. #BA26 #AfCFTA

What does trade without barriers look like for Africa’s traders? At #BiasharaAfrika2026, voices from across the continent shared a common vision: a future where trade moves faster, markets connect more deeply, and African businesses can grow in a more practical, seamless, and enabling trading environment. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket

Earlier this week at #BiasharaAfrika2026, participants shared their aspirations for the future of African trade, a continent where businesses can move goods more easily, barriers are reduced, and opportunities flow across borders with greater ease. Their voices reflect a shared ambition for a more connected, practical, and inclusive trading environment for Africa’s businesses and people. #BA2026 #CreatingOneAfricanMarket #BiasharaAfrika #AfCFTA