Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has reiterated the urgent need for African countries to remove trade barriers and integrate their economies to enhance intra-African trade.

Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues in Accra, on Wednesday, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang urged nations on the continent to leverage the momentum of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to trade among themselves for accelerated economic growth and transformation.

She underscored the importance of moving beyond the export of raw materials to value addition, stressing that women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) must be given access to markets, while the youth should be empowered to use their creativity and innovation to drive prosperity.

The Vice President noted that government’s resetting agenda was aligned with Africa’s vision of building a single integrated economic space to boost productivity and growth.

“The ideals of continental unity rest on moving from dependency to self-reliance, from fragmentation to integration, and from exporting to building prosperity at home,” she said.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the government’s 24-Hour Economy and Export Initiative as a key policy aimed at enhancing productivity and job creation, which she said, was consistent with Africa’s broader vision of economic transformation.

The Africa Prosperity Dialogues, organised by the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), serve as a continental advocacy platform for intra-African trade and investment.

This year’s event was held on the theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women, and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate, Trade”, and brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors from across the continent.