Freetown, Sierra Leone, 14 October 2025 – The AfCFTA Secretary-General, H.E. Wamkele Mene, commended Sierra Leone for its exemplary leadership and commitment to the AfCFTA agenda during the Sierra Leone AfCFTA Conference held under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Accelerating Sierra Leone’s AfCFTA Implementation for Sustainable Economic Transformation.”

He highlighted Sierra Leone’s achievement as the first African Union Member State to complete an AfCFTA Readiness Assessment, describing it as a major step toward translating policy commitments into practical economic outcomes.

H.E. Mene emphasised that the AfCFTA is Africa’s most ambitious project for economic transformation, aimed at building industrial capacity, boosting intra-African trade, and positioning the continent as a global growth frontier. He underlined the importance of digital systems, infrastructure development, SME empowerment, and inclusive trade, particularly for women and youth.

He also outlined flagship initiatives driving AfCFTA implementation, including the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, the Trade Finance Facility, and the Africa Trade Gateway, designed to lower trade costs and enhance competitiveness.

Calling for greater policy coherence and political will, H.E. Mene urged African nations to own their economic destiny by shifting from dependence on external markets to building resilient regional value chains.He concluded by affirming that Sierra Leone’s progress reflects the AfCFTA’s vision in action, moving decisively “from policy to practice” for Africa’s sustainable economic transformation