President John Mahama has encouraged African countries to collaborate and harmonise trade activities to insulate the continent from external pressures imposed through tariffs.

He stressed the need for African countries to improve revenue collections to link up infrastructural development for easy movement of goods and people.

Speaking at the African Development Bank (AfDB) 2025 annual meeting in Ivory Coast, President Mahama urged African leaders to see the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as catalyst for intra-trade on the continent.

He observed that the lack of integration and harmonisation has left African countries vulnerable to other countries and unions to exploit through tariff imposition.

“Unfortunately the system is being appended and countries have decided to impose tariffs based on their own interest. It sends a signal to Africa that there is no free dinner anywhere”, he said.

Proposing some solutions, President Mahama said there is the need for African countries to mobilise resources from the continent to develop the infrastructural needs needed to connect countries.

“We must mobilize revenue locally. We must add value to our products and we must get a better share for the natural resource endowment that God has given us”.

“We must look inward and see how we can trade more among ourselves. Happily, we have the AfCFTA which majority of African nations have ratified. What it means is that we have the opportunity to trade among ourselves,” he said.

President Mahama applauded the AfDB for investing in the trade infrastructure on the continent.

He pointed out for example that funds made available to countries to build roads and expand ports activities have played important roles for easy movement of goods and people to improve trade in Africa.

“It is not enough to have a protocol on trade. If you don’t have the railways, if you don’t have the highways, if you don’t have the aviation connection to be able to exchange goods, it comes to a knot. We must take advantage of that. In Ghana, we have expanded our ports and it has become a hub for receiving some of the biggest ships”, he said.

This, he said has opened the Tema Port to receive bigger vessels from all parts of the continent for onward movement to landlocked countries.