AfCFTA chief urges Africa to end raw material exports

Africa must shift from exporting raw materials to adding value to its natural resources to fully capitalize on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), according to Patience Okala, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office.

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Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent.

Okala emphasized that value addition and beneficiation are essential for the continent's industrialization and economic growth. She stated that the AfCFTA is more than just tariff elimination; it's a framework for industrialization, value addition, and job creation across Africa. "Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent," she said.

The effectiveness of Africa's economic transformation hinges on the practical implementation of the AfCFTA, not merely signing trade agreements. Okala noted that Nigeria is intensifying its efforts, including developing simplified AfCFTA guides in multiple languages to assist businesses in understanding and utilizing the trade pact's opportunities. "The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement," she added.

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The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement.

Okala called for enhanced collaboration among governments, regulators, and the private sector to dismantle trade and investment barriers. This collective effort is vital to transform AfCFTA's opportunities into tangible realities for businesses, especially Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs across the continent.

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As we move from policy to implementation, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA become practical realities for businesses, particularly MSMEs, women-owned enterprises and young entrepreneurs across the continent.