AfCFTA awareness-raising campaign: West African tour

The AfroChampions Initiative and the African Union Commission began their first roadshow to raise local entrepreneurs’ awareness on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on 28 May 2018 with a meeting in Accra, organized in partnership with the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).

Attendees included mostly Ghanaian entrepreneurs, operating in the manufacturing sector which should be boosted by the free movement of goods, services and people expected to result from the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.

“We are very pleased with these discussions with the Ghanaian business community,” said His Excellency Albert Muchanga, AU’s Commissioner for Trade and Industry.

“While we were able to present the opportunities offered by free movement of goods and services on the continent and the end of tariff and non-tariff barriers, we also received many questions and comments on the best schedule of actions to implement AfCFTA’s protocols, challenges relating to the simplification of customs procedures or logistical infrastructures. This will inform our future reflections during the implementation phase of the AfCFTA agreement and we thank AGI for its support,” he added.

Dr. Yaw Adu-Gyam fi, President of the AGI, was pleased that “the roadshow started in Ghana, which, is, along with Kenya, the first country that deposited instruments to ratify the AfCFTA agreement”.

For him, “it is very important that the African Union can receive suggestions from the private sector to ensure that the future AfCFTA is one that is aligned with the realities of the companies already involved in cross-border trade. We are happy to contribute to this dialogue between public decision-makers and economic players, which is a fairly new approach on our continent.”

Speaking on behalf of the AfroChampions Initiative, which designed and financed this awareness-raising roadshow, Mr Kuseni Dlamini, Chairman of Massmart and member of the AfroChampions Club, highlighted “the structuring role of intra-African trade for the development of the continent” and presented the AfroChampions Charter for African economic integration.

Abidjan welcomes the AfroChampions Initiative and the AU for the second stop

The second stop of the West African roadshow was in Abidjan. Organized in collaboration with the Côte d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the meeting brought together Ivorian economic operators, particularly from the sectors of agriculture, logistics and transport, as well as representatives from the subsidiaries of major international groups established in Côte d’Ivoire.

Many strategic issues were addressed, such as non-tariff barriers, the situation of cross-border workers and traders, and the monitoring and traceability of products exported from Côte d’Ivoire to the rest of the sub-region.

For His Excellency Mr. Albert Muchanga, AU’s Commissioner in charge of Trade and Industry of the African Union, “it is essential that strategic markets, such as Côte d’Ivoire, which are regional hubs, drive the implementation of the AfCFTA. This is really our goal with this dialogue that we have initiated and that we hope to continue in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d’Ivoire which we thank for its support.

“Here we have a perfect reflection of Africa’s economic diversity, with local, sub regional, and international actors, each facing different issues and whose feedback is very useful to prepare for the AfCFTA implementation phase.”

The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Faman Touré, considered that the dialogue and consultation launched by the AfroChampions Initiative and the African Union as a pioneering approach.

“The AfCFTA Agreement is a strategic development for Africa, but it is true that entrepreneurs need to be better informed. This is an unprecedented opportunity; when we know that intra-African trade accounts for only 16% of the continent’s trade, there is definitely scope for improvement! Economic actors must prepare, inform themselves, put in place the right teams. At the CCI-CI, we want to play our role and support them on all these aspects.”

“In Abidjan too, the AfroChampions Charter for Economic Integration has been well received and we hope to gather many signatories soon,” added Jean-Louis Billon, Former Minister for Trade, Crafts and SMEs in Côte d’Ivoire, Chairman of SIFCA, and Vice-president of the AfroChampions Club for Western Africa who is the first signatory of the Charter on behalf of SIFCA.

Third stop in Dakar for the Senegalese business community

Dakar was selected as the third stop of the AfCFTA awareness roadshow. In partnership with Sy Investments and ADS group, both members of the AfroChampions Club, a meeting was organized with several local business federations and agencies, including the National Confederation of Senegalese Employers (CNES), the ASEPEX (Senegalese Agency to Promote Exports), the UNACOIS (Senegalese Industry and Trade Federation), the COSEC (National Council of Chargers of Senegal) and CNP (Senegalese Employers Union).

Keynote speakers also included Ms Assome Aminata Diatta, Director for External Trade at the Ministry for Trade, Informal Sector, Consumption, promotion of local products and SME, and Mr Muhammad M. Jagana, Chairman of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting focused on strategic issues, such as the elimination of non-tariff barriers, as well as other complimentary measures necessary for the success of the AfCFTA.

“Senegal is the second largest economy in Francophone West-Africa, and therefore represents a strategic market. We must convince local economic actors that the AfCFTA is a true opportunity for their activity,” said His Excellency Mr. Albert Muchanga, Commissioner in charge of Trade and Industry of the African Union.

“Senegal will play a pivotal role, particularly because of its relationship with North Africa and its efforts to deploy strategic infrastructures, and we need to help it become a driving force in the future AfCFTA,” he added.

As managing Director of Sy Investments and Advisor to the AfroChampions Executive Committee, Alpha Sy explained how he had organized the meeting with the business community: “It was very important for us to bring together a broad range of business federations to propose to the African Union a 360° viewpoint on issues confronting Senegalese economic actors in relation to the AfCFTA.

“The participants were happy to be able to ask their questions directly to the AU Commission and, following the initial sensitization meetings in Accra and Abidjan, to learn more about the reactions and projects proposed in west African countries about the AfCFTA.”

As co-founder of the AfroChampions Initiative and Special Adviser to its Executive Committee, Samba Bathily, Founder and CEO of ADS Group, commented later on the event and the presence of the Gambian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the meeting which allowed “for a better appreciation of the specific challenges resulting from economic integration both for major African markets and for those of smaller size, but also the synergies that can be identified while the AfCFTA is implemented. Everyone needs to win, both the economic actors and the African states, and this is the philosophy behind the AfroChampions Charter for African Economic Integration presented by the AfroChampions Initiative.”

After Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, the AfCFTA roadshow continued in the Republic of Guinea on May 31, 2018. More tours are planned throughout this year in other regions of the continent, to mobilize local entrepreneurs but also to accompany the AfCFTA ratification process.