By Mabel Adorkor Annang
Africa’s quest for economic independence and continental unity hinges on deepening free trade, improving infrastructure, and dismantling long-standing barriers to intra-African commerce, former Egyptian diplomat Ambassador Ahmed Haggag has said.
Speaking on Free Trade zone in Africa: Hopes and challenges, Ambassador Haggag called for bold steps toward continental integration, including a unified economic vision to counter what he described as persistent external and internal constraints on Africa’s growth.
He argued that Africa’s fragmentation into sub-regions continues to weaken its collective bargaining power, noting that the continent has been divided into five sub-regional blocs with “superficial borders” that hinder free movement and trade.
“Africa needs to think seriously about unity not only politically, but also economically. Free trade remains one of the strongest tools to reduce dependency and external dominance,” he said.
Ambassador Haggag reiterated long-standing calls for ambitious integration measures, including a unified African currency and a coordinated continental security framework, which he believes would strengthen Africa’s sovereignty and reduce vulnerability to external pressures.
While acknowledging past efforts to ease movement across the continent, he noted that attempts to establish a unified visa or passport system have faced setbacks, largely due to security and terrorism-related concerns.
“The idea of a unified passport is important, but security challenges have made implementation difficult. These issues must be addressed collectively,” he added.
AfCFTA Key to Intra-African Trade
The former diplomat stressed that Africa must refocus attention on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), describing it as a critical platform for boosting trade within and among sub-regions.
He pointed out that increased trade among African countries would not only strengthen local economies but also reduce reliance on external markets.
“The real impact of AfCFTA will be felt when African countries trade more among themselves formally and informally,” Ambassador Haggag added.
Despite the promise of AfCFTA, Ambassador Haggag identified major structural barriers limiting its success. Poor transport infrastructure, including inadequate railways, highways, ports, and maritime systems continues to raise the cost of doing business across borders.
High tariffs, affordability challenges, and limited access to trade finance were also highlighted as persistent obstacles to continental commerce.
He further underscored the difficulties faced by landlocked African countries without direct access to ports, stressing the need for coordinated regional infrastructure development to address these disparities.
“Landlocked countries face unique challenges. AfCFTA must work deliberately to ensure these countries are not left behind,” he said.
Ambassador Haggag concluded by urging the media to write more stories on free trade and its economic benefits and to investigate further the hindrances to a smooth integration of free trade in the subregion.
He also emphasized that without sustained investment, policy coordination, and political will, Africa risks missing a historic opportunity to transform its economic future through AfCFTA.
