Africa’s local governments must drive growth through trade, investment – Wamkele Mene 

Africa’s economic integration will only succeed if municipalities, provinces and states take centre stage in shaping trade and investment, Mr Wamkele Mene Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has said.

Speaking at the 5th African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) Investment Conference on the sidelines of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Algiers, yesterday he said local authorities were “essential to realising the goals of the AfCFTA”.

“AfSNET has become a vital platform for sub-sovereign governments to showcase bankable investment projects to a global audience of businesses and investors,” Mr Mene told delegates, including African heads of state, mayors and governors.

“This is how ‘local power’ is translated into global impact,” he said.

He said regional governments were uniquely placed to promote cross-border industrial clusters, expand trade-enabling infrastructure, and include small businesses and informal traders in Africa’s fast-changing economy.

“Investments in intermediary cities are especially critical, as they connect rural and urban economies, unlock regional potential, and serve as engines of inclusive growth,” he said.

He highlighted pressing challenges such as rapid urbanisation, youth unemployment and rising crime, but insisted that trade and investment could act as “catalysts for job creation, innovation, and improved quality of life”.

 He urged sub-sovereign governments to put young people and women at the centre of development strategies to ensure growth was equitable.

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) will be crucial, he argued, to mobilise capital and expertise for infrastructure and industrial parks.

He also called for a continental transit guarantee system to ease the movement of goods, wider use of digital trade platforms such as Afreximbank’s African Trade Gateway, and stronger knowledge-sharing to boost local governance capacity.

“National governments must facilitate decentralisation and align national policies with the comparative advantages of their sub-sovereigns,” he said.

He urged local administrations to use Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to finance projects without overburdening public budgets, while appealing to development partners and private investors to deepen support.

“Africa’s integration and transformation will not be achieved from the top down alone. It will be built from the ground up; in municipalities, states, and provinces where policy becomes reality in people’s lives,” he said

Mr Mene said “The AfCFTA provides the framework, IATF provides the marketplace, and AfSNET is the bridge between local power and continental impact. Let us seize this moment to empower our sub-sovereigns, accelerate the AfCFTA, and build an Africa that is more connected, inclusive, and globally competitive.”

FROM DAVID ADADEVOH, ALGIERS

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