Afreximbank’s Group Chief Economist and Managing Director of Research, Dr. Yemi Kale, has called on Ghana to take a frontline role in shaping the future of intra-African trade, positioning itself not merely as a participant but a pacesetter in the continent’s economic integration agenda.

Speaking during the Ghana Roadshow for the upcoming Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Accra, Dr. Kale said the stakes for Africa’s trade transformation have never been higher, and that Ghana—with its strategic economic base, entrepreneurial energy, and role as host of the AfCFTA Secretariat—is uniquely placed to drive momentum.

“We are not just asking Ghana to attend—we are here to invite Ghana to lead,” Dr. Kale declared, as he urged the country’s public and private sectors to mobilise aggressively ahead of the IATF, scheduled for 4 to 10 September in Algiers, Algeria.

The IATF, described as the commercial face of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), will bring together over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 75 countries, 35,000 participants, and is expected to generate upwards of US$44 billion in trade and investment deals.

It features a seven-day exhibition, a four-day investment forum, B2B and B2G engagements, and flagship events spotlighting sectors such as automotive, creative industries, research, youth innovation, and the diaspora economy.

Dr. Kale highlighted the urgent need to turn Africa’s vast production capacity into interconnected trade flows, citing glaring mismatches like North and West Africa’s multi-billion-dollar imports of leather and meat from outside the continent, despite a readily available supply within Africa.

“These imbalances are not just inefficiencies; they are missed opportunities for job creation, value addition, and economic diversification,” he said.

Over the last three editions of the Trade Fair—in Cairo (2018 and 2023) and Durban (2021)—the platform has generated more than US$100 billion in trade deals and drawn over 70,000 visitors.

Dr. Kale said the IATF has now evolved from concept to cornerstone of the continent’s economic transformation, and called on African nations to take ownership.

He stressed that trade cannot flourish without timely and accurate market information, and that platforms like IATF are critical for bridging this gap.

“The problem is not capacity, it is connectivity,” he said, citing Afreximbank’s investments in instruments like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund as tools to improve trade flow and resilience.

Calling on Ghana to take centre stage, Dr. Kale encouraged businesses, cooperatives, government agencies, creatives, and startups to prepare early to showcase their innovations and commercial potential in Algiers. “Let us ensure Ghana is not just present, but prominent,” he urged.