At the launch of the third edition of the Biashara Afrika forum in Lomé on Monday, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé challenged African governments and business leaders to move beyond declarations and turn the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into tangible benefits for citizens.
Addressing a high-level audience of institutional officials, investors, entrepreneurs, and development partners from across the continent, Gnassingbé emphasized the urgency of translating political commitments into real economic outcomes. « The era of vision must now give way to an era of execution,» he stated, underscoring the need for decisive action in regional integration and economic collaboration.
The three-day forum, co-organized by the Togolese government and the AfCFTA Secretariat, serves as a platform to foster intra-African trade, deepen regional value chains, and accelerate the implementation of the free trade agreement.
Gnassingbé highlighted Africa’s growing potential to succeed in this transformation, citing the continent’s vast market size, abundant strategic resources, a youthful workforce, and the unified legal framework provided by the AfCFTA. He stressed that the focus must now shift to strengthening public policies, scaling up critical infrastructure, and removing trade barriers to unlock the continent’s economic promise.
The Togolese leader also positioned Togo as a model of economic integration in progress. He praised the country’s expanding logistics network—particularly the deep-water port of Lomé—and ongoing reforms aimed at improving the business environment and attracting foreign direct investment.
Despite progress, significant hurdles remain. Non-tariff barriers, infrastructure gaps, financing constraints, and the limited involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in cross-border trade continue to hinder the continent’s economic cohesion.
The Biashara Afrika 2026 initiative aims to address these challenges by forging new partnerships, mobilizing investment, and identifying practical solutions to convert Africa’s economic potential into inclusive and sustainable growth across the region.
