Urges Continent to Fully Leverage AfCFTA, Highlights Infrastructure & Policy Gaps at London Summit
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has issued a bold call for Africa to shift from reliance on foreign aid to robust intra-continental trade, declaring that the continent’s economic future depends on self-sufficiency and regional collaboration.
Speaking at the 2025 Commonwealth Enterprises and Investment Summit in London, Mbah emphasized that Africa must stop waiting for global handouts and instead harness its vast resources, population, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to drive prosperity.
In his closing remarks at the session titled “The Africa Opportunity: Regional Collaboration and Trade Facilitation,” Mbah highlighted Africa’s immense but underutilized advantages such as: 1.3 billion-strong population, a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, and 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land
“Africa should be building its own table, not waiting to be invited to someone else’s,” he asserted. “Yet, we still spend $40 billion annually on food imports while our trade barriers and infrastructure gaps stifle growth.”
While acknowledging AfCFTA’s potential to lift 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty and boost incomes by $450 billion by 2035, Mbah lamented slow progress since its inception.
Noting the key challenges which includes: Only 14.4% of Africa’s trade is intra-continental (vs. 69% in Europe), High transport costs, with 70% of goods moved by poorly connected roads, Underdeveloped rail and port systems, leading to $4 billion in annual trade losses. Mbah stated that “The dream of a single African market remains elusive,” he said. “We have frameworks, but deep structural barriers persist.”
He urged African leaders to learn from the European Union’s 35-year journey toward integration, stressing the need for: Unified trade laws & regulatory frameworks, Massive infrastructure investments, and Education & human capital development.
“The EU didn’t just talk integration—they backed it with action,” he noted. “Africa must connect physically and digitally to make AfCFTA work.”
Concluding his address, Mbah challenged African nations to move beyond rhetoric:
“Our renaissance lies in trade, not aid. Let’s unite our markets, ports, and ambitions. The time for performance is now.”
The governor had earlier showcased Enugu State’s investment potential at the summit’s State Governors Roundtable, reinforcing his vision for a self-reliant Africa.
