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President John Mahama stood before a gathering of African leaders and business titans at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) in Accra, delivering a clarion call for unity and urgency in transforming the continent’s economic landscape.
The three-day summit, hosted by the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, closed with bold pledges to dismantle trade barriers and fast-track infrastructure development, aiming to convert Africa’s fragmented markets into a powerhouse single economy.
Held under the theme “Delivering Africa’s Single Market Through Infrastructure: Invest, Connect, and Integrate,” the 2025 edition drew heads of state, including Togo’s Faure Gnassingbé and Comoros’ Azali Assoumani, alongside CEOs and policymakers. Mahama, echoing Ghana’s founding president Kwame Nkrumah, stressed that Africa’s intrinsic unity must override legacy divisions. “Resolutions alone won’t suffice. We need action—urgent, collective, and decisive—to build a self-reliant Africa,” he declared, challenging attendees to move beyond rhetoric.
Central to the dialogue was the unveiling of the AfCFTA Transit Guarantee Scheme, set to launch later this year. AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene announced the initiative, designed to streamline cross-border trade by allowing goods to traverse regions like the Abidjan-Lagos corridor under a single payment guarantee. “This eliminates the bureaucratic maze of multiple fees, a historic leap for intra-African trade,” Mene said, framing it as a catalyst to boost commerce currently stifled by red tape and poor infrastructure.
The push for digital integration also took center stage. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, APN Advisory Council chair, urged nations to replicate Ghana’s mobile money success, where interoperable systems like MTN Mobile Money and AirtelTigo Cash have revolutionized finance. “Fragmented digital systems hinder our progress. We need a continent-wide framework to unlock e-commerce and empower SMEs,” she argued, highlighting mobile platforms as tools to democratize trade for Africa’s youth and women entrepreneurs.
Yet, the summit’s most poignant moment came with the lighting of the Africa Trade Torch, a symbol of private-sector commitment to AfCFTA’s goals. Mahama, alongside Gnassingbé and Assoumani, ignited the flame at the Accra International Conference Centre, signaling a unified drive to operationalize the trade pact. The torch, now a permanent APD fixture, aims to rally SMEs and grassroots entrepreneurs behind the vision of a borderless market.
While optimism permeated the conference, unspoken challenges loomed. Africa’s infrastructure deficit—estimated to cost over $130 billion annually—remains a colossal hurdle. Critics argue that past initiatives have floundered due to funding gaps and political inertia. However, Mahama’s emphasis on public-private partnerships hinted at a strategic shift, leveraging corporate investment to bridge roads, ports, and digital networks.
The APD’s outcomes now face the test of implementation. As delegates departed, questions lingered: Can African nations harmonize policies fast enough to meet their 2030 integration targets? Will the transit scheme survive logistical complexities and corruption risks? For Mahama, the answer lies in sustained political will. “History will judge us not by our speeches,” he warned, “but by whether we turned pledges into prosperity.”
In a continent where 60% of the population is under 25, the stakes transcend economics—it’s a race against time to create jobs and hope. As the trade torch burns, its light must now guide action, not just aspiration.
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/mahama-urges-action-as-african-leaders-ignite-trade-unity-at-prosperity-summit/
