Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA Secretariat Wamkele Mene has called for stronger Canada–Africa investment partnerships to translate policy gains under the AfCFTA into tangible business outcomes, as stakeholders met in Ottawa to assess trade opportunities and risks. Speaking during an “In Conversation” session held as part of his official visit to Ottawa, Mene said bridging the gap between policy implementation and on-the-ground business realities remains critical in an increasingly complex global economic environment. Discussions centred on how producers, suppliers and investors can better integrate into African supply chains and benefit from intra-African trade. Participants pointed to syndicated trade finance and deeper collaboration between Canadian development finance institutions, private equity firms and African DFIs as practical tools to mitigate risk and unlock capital flows. The AfCFTA framework was highlighted as a catalyst for converting longstanding trade barriers into investable opportunities across sectors such as logistics, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, energy and manufacturing. The agreement, which aims to create a single continental market, has increasingly been positioned as a platform for scaling cross-border investment. Stakeholders also stressed the need to prioritise investment-led partnerships, technology transfer and stronger private sector participation. Small and medium-sized enterprises, along with women- and youth-led businesses, were identified as central to expanding trade volumes and ensuring inclusive growth. READ ALSO Ghana’s Digital Payments Story Is Working But Can It Scale Beyond the Market Stall? Ghana Strengthens Climate Finance Pipeline as Gov’t Targets Scaled Investment Ghana Deepens Global Climate Engagement to Drive Policy Influence and Strategic Partnerships Participants further underscored the importance of modernising customs systems and expanding digital trade infrastructure to facilitate smoother cross-border transactions. Strengthening these systems, they said, would be key to sustaining momentum in Canada–Africa trade relations and improving the efficiency of intra-African commerce. Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Like this:Like Loading… Related