President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially opened the 2024 and 2nd edition of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues.
Organized by the Africa Prosperity Network, the APD 2024 is an annual program dedicated to bringing together Africa’s political and business leaders with the aim of collectively advancing with urgency, the delivery of the all-important goal of boosting intra-Africa trade and building the world’s largest single market.
Africa Prosperity Dialogues, the three-day event which is being held at the Peduase Presidential Lodge in Aburi is focusing on the theme, “Delivering Prosperity in Africa, Produce, Add value, Trade”.
Delivering the keynote address, President Akufo-Addo touted the Africa Prosperity Dialogues as an ” excellent initiative aimed at facilitating understanding dialogue and commitment in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area initiative”.
He congratulated the Africa Prosperity Network, the organizers of the dialogue for the vision and ability to attract the lineup of strategic partners while expressing hope that it would garner all the needed support it needs to make its vision a success.
Speaking on the theme, President Akufo-Addo noted that the dialogue has provided “a unique platform to own and drive the fulfilment of the promises that the AfCFTA presents”.
He called for the prioritization of the development of efficient transportation and logistics infrastructure, streamlined trade processes and embarrassing digital technologies that facilitate cross-border transactions as a means to unlock the full potential of trade and prosperity in Africa.
“Without the capability to industrialize, add value to our raw materials, and invest to grow the social and digital economy and physical infrastructure that will connect our people and businesses to customers across Africa, infra-Africa trade will remain at the negligible lows that it has always been,” President Akufo-Addo added.
Secretary General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, H.E Wamkele Mene for his part, stressed the importance of the private sector’s role in the AfFCTA’s aim of creating the world’s largest single market.
“The private sector is of course an important part of the work that we are doing and indeed a pillar of implementation of the AfCFTA,” he said.
He highlighted the agricultural, automotive, pharmaceutical, transportation and logistics sectors as some of the contributions of the private sector to the development of the continent.
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2024 is attended by business leaders, delegates and representatives of governments from African countries. Among them is the former President of Mozambique, and Chairman of the Africa Forum, H.E Joaquim Alberto Chissano.
