Africa Trade Summit Ends in Accra with Push for Industrial Financing and AfCFTA-Driven Growth

The Africa Trade Summit has wrapped up in Accra with a renewed continental resolve to accelerate Africa’s industrialisation through coordinated financing, stronger regional value chains, and effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Organised by the African Trade Chamber in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, the two-day Summit convened senior government officials, private sector leaders, investors, development finance institutions, and multilateral partners from across Africa and beyond. The gathering focused on advancing a private sector–driven agenda aimed at transforming Africa’s productive and trade capacity.

Opening the Summit, President John Dramani Mahama described the moment as pivotal for the continent, arguing that political independence without economic transformation remains unfinished business. He called for a decisive shift away from Africa’s long-standing dependence on raw material exports toward manufacturing, value addition, and integrated regional production networks.

President Mahama stressed the need for long-term, affordable financing to support industrial growth, highlighting the mobilisation of domestic resources and the strategic use of institutional capital such as pension and insurance funds. He also underscored the role of development finance institutions and blended finance instruments in reducing risk for investors, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. According to him, sustained private investment depends heavily on policy consistency, reliable infrastructure, and strong adherence to the rule of law.

Welcoming participants, Executive Chair of the African Trade Chamber, Benedicta Lasi, said the Summit was convened against the backdrop of rapidly shifting global supply chains. She warned that Africa risks being sidelined unless governments and businesses abandon fragmented national approaches in favour of coordinated regional production systems. She emphasised that meaningful industrialisation will come not from competition among neighbouring states, but from alignment across trade corridors, value chains, and markets.

Held from 28 to 29 January 2026 at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra, the Summit attracted over 1,500 delegates, with about 20 per cent participating from other African countries, underscoring its strong pan-African character.

Discussions on the second day centred on practical pathways to industrial transformation, with sector-focused roundtables on mining and strategic minerals, agro-processing and food systems, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and energy and trade infrastructure. Other sessions explored investment readiness, inclusive industrial growth, and the scaling of SMEs, youth-led and women-owned enterprises.

The Summit concluded with the Africa Trade Awards Gala, celebrating institutions and leaders making tangible contributions to industrial development, value addition, and intra-African trade. Organisers say the Africa Trade Summit will now serve as a permanent continental platform to drive policy alignment, private sector leadership, and investment mobilisation for Africa’s long-term economic transformation.