President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his administration’s unwavering support for the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD), an annual platform organized by the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
The APD, held from January 30 to February 1 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), serves as a vital forum for business and political leaders to devise policies aimed at advancing the continent’s single market, fostering economic integration, and creating jobs for the continent’s burgeoning youth population.
The 2025 edition of the APD focused on Africa’s transition from a fragmented continent to a unified one, with a strong emphasis on bridging infrastructure gaps essential for trade and economic development.
Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD)
In his speech at the closing session, the “Presidential and Business Executives Dialogue,” President Mahama addressed fellow leaders, including President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo and President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros.
He called for decisive action, highlighting that the time for mere resolutions had passed and urging African leaders to take steps to eliminate trade barriers and build a competitive, self-sufficient continent.
Mahama echoed the words of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who said, “The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart,” and urged his peers to embrace these forces for Africa’s economic transformation.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene used the platform to announce the launch of the “AfCFTA Transit Guarantee Scheme” in 2025, a groundbreaking initiative that will streamline trade across Africa by covering goods along key trade corridors under a single transit guarantee, reducing trade costs and facilitating smoother movement of goods.
Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the Advisory Council of APN, emphasized the importance of investing in digital infrastructure and financial platforms, citing Ghana’s mobile payment system as a model for achieving continent-wide mobile interoperability.
The conference identified five key areas that require urgent attention for accelerating economic integration:
- Logistics & Transport – Addressing the continent’s infrastructure deficiencies to reduce trade costs and enhance connectivity.
- Affordable and Sustainable Energy – Developing regional energy policies and interconnected grids to tackle frequent power shortages.
- Mobile System Interoperability – Ensuring policy harmonization to create a unified digital ecosystem for mobile payments and e-commerce.
- Social Infrastructure – Prioritizing investment in healthcare and technology to improve access and resilience.
- Infrastructure Financing – Proposing the creation of an Infrastructure Fund to bridge Africa’s $2 trillion funding gap.
In a significant development, the conference saw the lighting of the Africa Trade Torch (ATT), an initiative by the Africa Business Council (ABC), symbolizing the commitment of the private sector to advancing the AfCFTA and promoting its benefits to small and medium-sized enterprises, youth, and women entrepreneurs.
As APD 2025 concluded, the message was clear: Africa must act collectively and swiftly to dismantle trade barriers, invest in critical infrastructure, and drive a unified economic agenda for sustainable growth.
By Baba Alhassan Abass/thenewsbulletin24.com
