Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
On August 29th, 2025, the Cameroon Economic Policy Institute (CEPI) convened experts, policymakers, and researchers for a timely reflection on the theme “seven years after its launch, is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) delivering on its promise?”
The virtual panel, moderated by CEPI’s Executive Director, Henri Kouam, brought together Professor Najet Zammouri, Vice President of the Human Rights League, and CEPI Research Fellow, Dinga Tambi.
What emerged was a candid discussion that weighed AfCFTA’s milestones against the persistent barriers slowing its implementation.
Early steps, uneven progress
Professor Najet reminded participants of AfCFTA’s founding goal: to unify Africa’s markets, dismantle tariff barriers, and allow free movement of goods, services, people, and capital. “The vision is intact,” she said, “but the tools to make it real remain scarce.” While countries like Cameroon, Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda have gradually phased out tariffs as part of the Guided Trade Initiative, progress has been uneven across the continent.
Mr. Tambi provided a snapshot of where things stand: 44 countries are now state parties, and 22 have submitted electronic tariff schedules—Ethiopia joining most recently. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, has set up a national AfCFTA committee but has yet to file its schedule. Still, he highlighted, more than 50 African companies have already exported or imported under the agreement, proving its potential.
Barriers beyond tariffs
The conversation turned quickly to the real obstacles on the ground. “Economic, social, and infrastructural constraints are holding Africa back,” Prof. Najet warned.
She welcomed CEPI’s plan to train at least 1,000 businesses annually to better navigate AfCFTA procedures, insisting that without such practical support, the agreement risks stalling.
Moderator Henri Kouam underscored how bureaucracy frustrates entrepreneurs. “Trade procedures must be made transparent and accessible,” he argued, urging ministries and customs authorities to publish clear import/export requirements online.
Infrastructure emerged as another urgent priority. The panel agreed that regional integration is impossible without connectivity. “Governments should commit to building at least 1,000 kilometers of national roads and 500 kilometers of regional roads,” Kouam said. “Without roads, AfCFTA will remain a paper agreement.”
Trading in African currencies
Currency was also in the spotlight. Both Prof. Najet and Mr. Tambi pushed for African businesses to adopt the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), a platform designed to reduce reliance on foreign currencies in intra-African trade.
Kouam revealed that CEPI has already contacted Cameroon’s Central Bank and 18 commercial banks, urging faster PAPSS integration.
A trade imbalance that tells the story
The numbers are sobering. Only 16% of Africa’s total trade is within the continent—compared to 45% in North America, 65% in Europe, and over 50% in Asia. “Other regions trade first with themselves,” Kouam remarked. “Africa still trades more with outsiders than with each other.”
The road ahead
The panelists agreed on concrete steps: train businesses to understand AfCFTA, ensure tariff schedules are applied consistently across borders, publish trade data on official websites, and set measurable targets for infrastructure development.
Seven years on, AfCFTA is neither a failure nor a triumph—it is unfinished. The vision of a single African market remains alive, but as the CEPI panelists reminded, turning vision into reality requires action not just in continental treaties, but in the daily decisions of governments, businesses, and financial institutions.
