13 August, Maputo, Mozambique – H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, attended the Africa50 General Shareholders Meeting #Africa50GSM in Maputo, Mozambique.
In his intervention, H.E. Mene underscored that infrastructure development lies at the heart of trade and is essential for the successful implementation of the AfCFTA, as the continent works towards the goal of doubling intra-African trade by 2035.
He emphasised the need for Africa to prioritise industrial development and invest in trade-related infrastructure, highlighting the importance of relying on the continent’s own development finance institutions to achieve these objectives.
The meeting also witnessed the signing of a tripartite framework agreement between Africa50, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support the development and financing of trade-enhancing transport and logistics infrastructure, as well as digital trade platforms.