President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his administration’s full 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 serves as a strategic forum where business and political leaders convene to develop actionable policies aimed at driving Africa’s single market agenda, fostering economic integration, and creating jobs for the continent’s growing youth population.
The 2025 edition, held from January 30 to February 1 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), focused on transitioning Africa from a fragmented continent to an integrated one while addressing infrastructure gaps crucial for trade and economic development.
Speaking at the “Presidential and Business Executives Dialogue,” the closing session of APD 2025, President Mahama addressed fellow African leaders, including President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo and President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros.
“This conference exemplifies our shared commitment to unlocking Africa’s full potential and ensuring that the continent occupies its rightful position in the global economic landscape,” Mahama said. He stressed the need for immediate action rather than mere resolutions, urging African leaders to remove trade barriers and build a competitive, self-reliant continent.
“As Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, once said, ‘The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart.’ Let us embrace those forces and chart a new path for Africa’s economic transformation,” Mahama declared.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene used the platform to announce the forthcoming launch of the “AfCFTA Transit Guarantee Scheme” in 2025. Designed to facilitate seamless trade across Africa, the scheme will cover goods transported along major trade corridors—such as the Abidjan-Lagos corridor—under a single transit guarantee, eliminating multiple payments and reducing trade costs.
“This scheme will allow goods to move across regions under one unified cost of transit guarantee,” Mene stated, adding that the initiative is the first of its kind globally and marks a significant step in Africa’s trade integration efforts. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the Advisory Council of APN, urged African governments to prioritize digital infrastructure and financial platforms.
She stressed Ghana’s mobile payment system as a model for achieving continent-wide mobile interoperability. “Africa must invest in broadband expansion, e-commerce platforms, and regulatory harmonization to unlock the potential of digital trade,” she said.
The conference identified five critical areas African nations must focus on to accelerate economic integration:
- Logistics & Transport – Africa’s inadequate infrastructure impedes free trade, raising intra-African trade costs by 30-40%. The conference called for full implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the Yamoussoukro Decision to liberalize air travel, alongside adopting the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050.
- Affordable and Sustainable Energy – With over 30 African nations experiencing frequent power outages, leaders stressed the need for regional energy policies and interconnected power grids. The Grand Inga Dam was cited as a project that, if realized, could address the continent’s power crisis.
- Mobile System Interoperability – Policy fragmentation across AU member states hinders efforts to create a harmonized digital ecosystem. The conference urged African nations to prioritize mobile payment interoperability, broadband expansion, and digital finance solutions.
- Social Infrastructure – Business leaders called for increased investment in pharmaceutical production to enhance healthcare resilience and reduce dependency on imports. They also emphasized the role of technology in improving healthcare delivery and financial accessibility.
- Infrastructure Financing – To bridge Africa’s $2 trillion infrastructure funding gap, delegates proposed the establishment of a dedicated Infrastructure Fund, leveraging pension funds, insurance funds, and sovereign wealth funds.
To attract investment, governments were urged to implement key reforms such as infrastructure bonds and blended finance models. A highlight of the event was the lighting of the Africa Trade Torch (ATT), an initiative by the Africa Business Council (ABC) that has now become a permanent feature of Africa Prosperity Dialogues.
President Mahama and Presidents Gnassingbé and Assoumani joined business leaders in lighting the torch, symbolizing the private sector’s commitment to advancing the AfCFTA.
The ATT aims to popularize the AfCFTA among African businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, women, and youth entrepreneurs, encouraging their active participation in the continent’s economic transformation.
As Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2025 concluded, the resounding message was clear: Africa must act swiftly and collectively to break down barriers, invest in infrastructure, and drive a unified economic agenda for sustainable growth.
