The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening the implementation of trade policies across the continent. The agreement was formalized during the Africa Business Forum (ABF 2025) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last weekend.

Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the ECA, emphasized the critical role of institutional partnerships in ensuring the success of the AfCFTA, calling the MoU a key step in fostering cooperation. He highlighted the MoU’s focus on advancing market access, removing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and promoting trade facilitation. Additionally, the partnership will support industrialization and strengthen regional value chains to promote deeper economic integration across African economies.

The MoU provides a structured framework for collaboration between the ECA and the AfCFTA Secretariat in key areas such as research, policy development, and technical assistance. Both institutions are committed to ensuring that the implementation of AfCFTA is inclusive, effective, and beneficial for all African countries. To achieve this, they will jointly conduct research and offer policy recommendations to improve trade logistics, increase cross-border efficiency, and address critical trade challenges.

Training and capacity building will also be central to the partnership, with programs designed to enhance institutional and technical capacities for implementing AfCFTA policies. These efforts will help create a more enabling environment for African businesses and governments to fully leverage the benefits of a single African market.

AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene praised the MoU’s potential to accelerate AfCFTA’s operationalization by tapping into the ECA’s expertise in trade policy, economic modeling, and capacity development. “With AfCFTA aiming to create a single market of 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, this MoU represents a critical step toward unlocking the full potential of intra-African trade,” Mene stated.

The partnership will focus on developing concrete trade facilitation programs, policy reforms, and capacity-building initiatives to ensure the smooth and efficient implementation of AfCFTA. By addressing trade challenges and fostering stronger regional cooperation, this agreement aims to drive Africa’s economic integration and development.