Mahama Urges Infrastructure Investment to Realize AfCFTA Potential

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President John Dramani Mahama has called for accelerated infrastructure development across Africa to unlock the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) economic promise.

During a July 20, 2025, meeting with AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene in Accra, Mahama stressed that seamless trade integration requires strategic transport and digital networks.

Official communications from the Presidency highlighted Mahama’s focus on overcoming continental connectivity gaps. He cited inadequate roads, rails, ports, and digital systems as critical barriers to implementing existing regional trade agreements. The President advocated for prioritized investments aligned with the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU-NEPAD) framework.

Mahama specifically proposed extending the Abidjan-Lagos corridor to Dakar, creating an integrated West African trade artery. He noted Ghana’s rising transit trade with Burkina Faso and Mali, emphasizing that enhanced infrastructure would position Ghana as a gateway for landlocked neighbors. “Efficient road, rail, and port systems,” he stated, “could catalyze unprecedented regional commerce.”

Secretary-General Mene acknowledged Ghana’s role as a key AfCFTA pilot nation, confirming 49 of 55 African Union members have ratified the agreement. Twenty-four countries currently trade under AfCFTA terms, though Benin, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea remain non-ratifying states.

The dialogue underscored infrastructure as the linchpin of AfCFTA’s success. Mahama reiterated Ghana’s commitment to hosting the Secretariat, framing it as symbolic of Africa’s economic ambition. Both leaders agreed that without physical and digital connectivity, continental integration would remain aspirational.

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