Harmonised diplomacy is the driver of AfCFTA’s success – Trade minister

The Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has emphasised that harmonised diplomacy is the key driver for achieving the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Delivering her message through Benjamin Kwaku Asiam, Acting National Coordinator of AfCFTA, at the maiden African Diplomacy and Business Dialogue (AfDiB 2025) in Accra, the minister said that Africa’s ambition for economic liberation and integration must be matched with a collective diplomatic approach.

“The AfCFTA is not merely another trade agreement; it is the most ambitious economic integration project since the formation of the World Trade Organization. Harmonised diplomacy is the driver, the map and the commitment to transform this vision into reality,” she stated.

The event, hosted under the theme “Harnessing African Diplomacy for the Success of AfCFTA,” brought together diplomats, business leaders, policymakers and academics to discuss strategies for accelerating AfCFTA implementation.

Parliament vets Minister of Trade-designate Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare

Ofosu-Adjare’s message outlined three critical areas where diplomacy must be strategically aligned:

Policy and Regulation Harmonisation: Countries must converge on rules of origin, customs procedures, standards, and digital payment systems to create a truly single market.

Infrastructure and Connectivity: Diplomacy should drive investment in cross-border transport, ports, and digital networks to enable smooth intra-African trade.

Strategic Messaging and Engagement: Africa must speak with one voice in global trade negotiations while ensuring inclusivity and grassroots support for AfCFTA.

She further urged African leaders to “subordinate short-term political calculations to the historic vision of an integrated Africa,” stressing that unity is essential to unlock AfCFTA’s $3.4 trillion market potential.

Prof Lord Mawuko-Yevugah, who delivered the keynote address, described AfCFTA as a bold declaration of Africa’s intent to control its economic destiny, calling diplomacy “indispensable” for balancing competing national interests and avoiding fragmentation.

He invoked the vision of Kwame Nkrumah, reminding participants of Ghana’s pivotal diplomatic role in Africa’s liberation movements.

“We are the heirs of Kwame Nkrumah. AfCFTA is the embodiment of his belief that the forces uniting Africa are greater than those dividing us,” Prof Mawuko-Yevugah said.

Organised by SALT University College and its partners, AfDiB 2025 aims to bridge diplomacy, commerce, and academia to ensure AfCFTA becomes a people-centered project that creates jobs, reduces poverty and strengthens Africa’s place in global trade.

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