President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina and 10 African Heads of State and Government were at the weekend honoured for their roles in actualizing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) prototcol.
The AfCFTA, the largest free trade area in the world, began trading on 1
January 2021 and is expected to speed up the recovery of the continent and
enhance its resilience by increasing the level of intra-African trade in goods
and services.
The award was organised by AeTrade Group in collaboration with the African Union
Commission, the African Business Council, the Pan African Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry,
and the East African Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.
“As Africans, we are proud of the extraordinary effort made by our leaders
towards the success of the AfCFTA,” said former Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Hailemariam Boshe at an event held at the Addis Ababa headquarters of the
African Union and joined virtually by many participants.
Boshe, a patron of the AeTrade Group, thanked the awardees for their strong
leadership in the process that led to the AfCFTA coming into force.
Ambassador Albert Muchanga, African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry,
noted that the AfCFTA had generated strong support in Africa and the Diaspora,
“and we are proud to acknowledge our champions who have been at the forefront
of this process.”
He took the opportunity to thank the heads of state and governments whose
countries have ratified the Free Trade Agreement and invited others to follow
suit.
“We are also celebrating the key milestones achieved from when we laid the
foundation for the initiative to the official start of trading on January 1. I
would like to call on governments and the private sector to take advantage of
the opportunities created by the continental initiative to make Africa more
prosperous,” added Muchanga.
The Chairman of the AeTrade Group, Mulualem Syoum, thanked the African
Development Bank, under the leadership of Dr. Adesina, for its outstanding
technical guidance and financial support to the process.
“Moving forward, we want the private sector to speak with one voice. The
AfCFTA has shown the way. To ensure effective implementation, it is time for
the private sector to play its role. The Africa that we want can only be
achieved through working together,” Syoum said. “We are confident that there is
no need for Africa to depend on aid. We can spur domestic mobilization of
resources and synergies.”
Dr. Amany Asfour, Interim Chair of the African Business Council, emphasized the
role of the private sector in implementing the AfCFTA. “We in the private
sector are committed to the implementation of this initiative. We
will support Africa to actualise the free trade area.”
Hajiya Saratu Aliyu, President of the Federation of West African Chambers of
Commerce and Industry, and Charles Kahuthu, CEO of the East
African Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, echoed Asfour’s
sentiments.
“Jobs have to be restored and livelihoods and economies revived,” Kahuthu said.
“We also need to come together to promote products made in Africa to
effectively implement the AfCFTA.”
The awardees included Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of
Congo and incoming Chairperson of the African Union; Egyptian President Ahmed
Fattah Al-Sisi; His Majesty King Mswati III, Ngwenyama of Eswatini; Abiy Ahmed,
Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana; Alpha Conde,
President of Guinea; Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger; Muhamadu Buhari,
President of Nigeria; Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, and Cyril Ramaphosa,
President of South Africa, Chairperson of the African Union.
Two former heads of state, Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, former Prime Minister of
Ethiopia, and Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, were also
honoured.
AeTrade Group is a multi-stakeholder group of African Diaspora professionals
and businesspeople, with affiliation to the African Union Commission.
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