By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
Actress and entrepreneur Juliet Ibrahim has made a strong case for women’s inclusion in Africa’s economic transformation, declaring that the continent cannot achieve prosperity if women are sidelined in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the African Prosperity Dialogue in Accra, Juliet Ibrahim emphasized that women must be at the heart of Africa’s trade, entrepreneurship, and creative industries if the single African market is to succeed. She described women as key drivers of innovation, cross-border trade, and economic resilience across the continent.
Her intervention went beyond symbolism, positioning women not just as beneficiaries of AfCFTA but as active architects of Africa’s economic future. She highlighted the need for deliberate efforts to remove barriers that limit women’s participation in trade and creative enterprises across borders.
Juliet Ibrahim’s contribution stood out as part of a broader shift at the dialogue, where African influencers and creatives were engaged not for publicity but for purpose-driven engagement. Her message aligned with the conference’s focus on turning AfCFTA from a policy framework into a practical tool for jobs, opportunity, and inclusive growth.
Participants noted that her remarks reinforced the idea that Africa’s prosperity agenda must be inclusive to be sustainable. Without women fully participating in the single market, she argued, the promise of AfCFTA would remain incomplete.
The African Prosperity Dialogue continues to highlight the importance of shared responsibility, with voices from politics, business, youth, and the creative sector converging around one message: Africa’s future will not be imported—it must be built collectively and inclusively by Africans themselves.
