ECOWAS Holds Fourth Intra-African Trade Fair In Algeria

The Intra African Trade Fair In Algeria

The 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) was held in the Algerian capital, Algiers, from the
4th to 10th of September 2025, under the theme: “Boosting intra-African trade for a sustainable future: innovation, added value and green industrialisation”.

The opening ceremony was presided over by H.E. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, in the presence of several African and Caribbean Heads of State and Government.

Also present were: H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, Chair of the IATF Advisory Board and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, former President of the Republic of Niger and Champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); H.E. Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, Vice-Chairperson of the African Union Commission; Professor Benedict Oramah, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank); and H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat.

In his opening address, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called on African countries to deepen their economic ties by increasing trade to stimulate growth, create jobs, and protect their economies from the effects of current global geopolitical crises. He emphasized the need to enhance the trade infrastructure necessary for facilitating intra-African trade.

For his part, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo recalled that the 2025 edition of the IATF welcomed exhibitors from 48 countries, demonstrating the fair’s ability to connect buyers, sellers, investors, innovators, and governments from Africa and beyond. He concluded by announcing that the Federal Republic of Nigeria will host the next edition in 2027, the fifth of its kind.

On the sidelines of the IATF, the ECOWAS Commission organised several side events at the ECOWAS Pavilion, in collaboration with partners such as GIZ, UNDP, the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). These activities included: a meeting of the heads of the ECOWAS Trade Promotion Organisations Network (TPON), B2B express meetings for SMEs, discussions on trade barriers for SMEs, and a digital masterclass for SMEs.

In addition, several bilateral discussions took place between the ECOWAS Commission and representatives of multilateral institutions such as the African Union, Afreximbank, the African Business Council, and UNDP, as well as national institutions such as the Ghana Commercial Bank, to explore possible areas of collaboration.

The Intra-African Trade Fair has been held since 2018: the first edition took place in Cairo (Egypt), followed by Durban (South Africa) in 2021, Cairo in 2023, and now Algeria in 2025. It is the result of a partnership between Afreximbank, the African Union Commission (AUC), and the AfCFTA Secretariat. The IATF provides a unique platform for promoting the exchange of information on trade and investment, in support of increased intra-African trade, particularly in the context of the implementation of the AfCFTA.

The 2025 edition welcomed more than 112,000 visitors (in person and virtual) from 132 countries, including 958 buyers and 2,148 exhibitors, with trade agreements worth an estimated US$48.3 billion concluded.

The ECOWAS Commission delegation to the 4th IATF was led by Mr. Kolawole Sofola, Director of Trade, representing Ms. Massandje Touré-Litsé, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture. The ECOWAS exhibition stand brought together representatives of the TPON and a selection of SMEs from across the region.

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