Telecel Ghana CEO, Patricia Obo-Nai, has called for deliberate investment in practical digital skills and awareness of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to ensure women and young people in business can benefit meaningfully.

Speaking on the opening panel of the Women Prosperity Dialogue at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2026 in Accra, under the theme ‘Building an Inclusive AfCFTA,’ Ms Obo-Nai said that trade can deliver shared prosperity only if more women and young people are equipped to participate. She noted that many women and young traders still lack a clear understanding of how AfCFTA works and how it can support cross-border trade.

“The AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth clearly shifts the trade agreement from just opening markets to preparing people to benefit from those markets. But awareness remains a major challenge because many women and young traders don’t yet understand how AfCFTA works or how it can support their businesses.”

Ing. Obo-Nai urged national governments and key players to tackle limitations to maximising the full potential of AfCFTA, including navigating multiple SIM rules, mobile money limits, data regulations and compliance requirements, among others.

Looking ahead, Ms Obo-Nai emphasised the need to prepare the next generation of African producers and innovators. She cited the Telecel DigiTech Academy, which introduces practical coding, robotics and design skills at the primary school level, as well as Telecel’s partnership with the government’s One Million Coders Programme.

The partnership is set to train 100,000 young people, with a deliberate goal of achieving at least 70 per cent female participation.

“If AfCFTA is going to have a generational impact, we must think beyond today. How are we preparing the younger generation to take advantage of today's opportunities?

At Telecel, we are intentionally investing in early-stage skills development for the next generation. I think the private sector should be deliberate about where we are investing our efforts to build the future we want to see.”

Ing. Obo-Nai said digital literacy and financial skills have become essential trade tools, particularly for women operating in the informal sector. She highlighted the work of the Telecel Foundation, which provides digital and financial skills training to women in underserved communities, with a focus on the agribusiness value chain.

Sharing the example of the Telecel Women in Business proposition, which provides access to finance, connectivity, reach and visibility for women-led businesses, Ing. Obo-Nai tasked the private sector to design solutions that meet women and young traders where they are.

She urged policymakers to embed trade, digital and financial education into national AfCFTA strategies, adding that inclusion of women and youth should be treated as a core requirement rather than an afterthought.

The session followed a special opening address by Ghana's Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who called on African governments to rethink how borders are managed to promote trade, mobility, and shared prosperity.

She described AfCFTA as an opportunity for Africa to move from dependency and fragmentation toward self-reliance and integration.

Other members of the high-level panel, including former African Union Deputy Chairperson Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Africa Business Council President Dr. Amany Asfour, Ghana’s Former Ambassador to Brazil, Prof Abena Busia Professor Emerita,  and Dr. Joy Kategekwa of the African Development Bank Group, agreed that addressing barriers to skills, finance and market access is critical to making Africa’s single market equitable and participatory. The panel session was moderated by

The Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026, held at the Accra International Conference Centre, brought together policymakers, business leaders, and development partners to advance practical solutions to empower SMEs, women, and youth within Africa’s emerging single market.