Ogbonna, in his opening remarks, emphasized that structural barriers continue to limit the growth of intra-African commerce despite the continent’s vast market opportunities. He noted that Africa still controls a relatively small share of global trade, with fragmented trade corridors and bottlenecks constraining small and medium-sized enterprises from expanding across borders.
“The reality is that Africa still controls a small share of global trade. The corridors are still fragmented and more aspirational than functional, and too many small businesses that aspire to trade across Africa remain constrained,” Ogbonna said.
He highlighted the three priorities identified at last year’s inaugural ATC in 2025 to transform Africa’s trade landscape: breaking down silos between policymakers, financial institutions, and businesses; building a trade ecosystem supported by reliable data and analytics; and developing systems that support both large corporations and smaller enterprises seeking cross-border expansion.
Ogbonna also pointed to progress made since the last conference, noting emerging value chains in agriculture, manufacturing, and services, as well as African brands increasingly crossing borders and establishing a global presence. Technology platforms, he added, are playing a growing role in easing friction in payments, logistics, and market access, although gains remain uneven across the continent.
Addressing infrastructure financing, the African Development Bank’s Director General for Southern Africa, Kennedy Mbekeani, called for stronger mobilization of private capital to fund critical projects that could unlock the full potential of intra-African trade. “The mobilisation of private capital remains crucial as many African governments are constrained by limited fiscal space and overstretched balance sheets,” he said.
Government officials attending the conference also stressed the importance of policy alignment and harmonized implementation. Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Chipoka Mulenga, noted that consistent, coherent policies are vital for enhancing trade, while Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ajare, emphasized mutual recognition frameworks and harmonized standards to facilitate cross-border commerce.
Botswana’s Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Tiroeaone Ntsima, highlighted the need for enabling environments for business and investors, framing Botswana as a “land-linked” trade corridor connecting markets across the continent.
Concluding the conference, Ogbonna urged stakeholders to move beyond dialogue and take concrete steps to strengthen intra-African trade, emphasizing that Africa’s economic transformation hinges on the willingness of businesses, governments, and financial institutions to collaborate effectively.
“This conference must not end as another talking shop. It must become the birthplace of a movement that contributes to transforming intra-African trade,” he said.