The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ghana's strategic role in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), highlighting the direct impact of trade facilitation on traders' livelihoods, particularly cross-border women traders.

At a capacity-development seminar on trade facilitation held on Monday, February 9, 2026, at the Busua Beach Resort in Takoradi, JICA emphasised the importance of strengthening Ghana's customs capacities for regional economic competitiveness and continental integration.

This seminar, the third phase of the ongoing collaboration between JICA and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), brought together about 55 customs officers from essential entry points across the country. It aims to enhance understanding of free trade agreements, with particular emphasis on the AfCFTA's Rules of Origin, which are crucial for preventing trade deflection and ensuring the equitable development of African value chains.

Ms. SUZUKI Momoko, Chief Representative of JICA Ghana Office, stated: "Ghana's strategic position as host of the AfCFTA Secretariat places it at the forefront of continental integration. Our partnership with the GRA Customs Division is designed to ensure that Ghana's national systems not only benefit its own economy but also serve as a powerful model for effective trade facilitation across Africa, stimulating inclusive growth and realizing the vision of a single African market."

The program specifically targeted operationally demanding issues such as One-Stop Border Posts, the application of strategic trade control enforcement, and, crucially, the correct understanding and application of the AfCFTA's Rules of Origin. These rules are essential for preventing trade deflection, ensuring fairness for all traders, and enabling the development of robust African value chains.

The expansion of support to additional border locations underscores JICA's desire to ensure a broader national impact, recognizing that effective customs procedures are both a national and a continental responsibility.

The active participation of officials from the AfCFTA Secretariat in the seminar ensures that discussions are directly linked to the latest continental frameworks and implementation perspectives, information from JICA’s Public Relations Advisor, Mr. Kojo Williams, reveals.

Mr. Chawki Jaballi, Head of Customs Capacity Building and Training Division, AfCFTA Secretariat, speaking at the event, said: "The African Continental Free Trade Area is not just an agreement on paper; it is the engine of Africa’s economic transformation. Customs officers stand at the frontline of trade facilitation, and the success of intra-African trade depends directly on their efficiency." 

JICA remains committed to assisting Ghana in building the human and institutional foundations required to fully benefit from the AfCFTA and other regional trade initiatives.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), present in about 100 countries worldwide, is the Japanese government agency responsible for coordinating Japan's official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries.

It aims to support growth and stability in partner countries through technical cooperation, loans, grants, and the dispatch of volunteers.