Lomé, Togo – The third edition of Biashara Afrika concluded in Lomé, Togo, on Wednesday 20 May 2026, after three days of high-level discussions, investment engagements and strategic partnerships aimed at turning the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) from policy into practice.
The forum, convened by the AfCFTA Secretariat and hosted by the Togolese government, drew more than 1,900 participants, making it the best-attended edition yet. Heads of State and Government, ministers, business leaders, financial institutions, development partners, small and medium enterprises, youth and women entrepreneurs, policymakers and investors from across the continent and beyond all took part.
Held under the theme “Powering Africa’s Economic Transformation Through the AfCFTA,” the gathering focused on moving Africa’s single market agenda from ambition to action through stronger public-private collaboration, industrialisation, trade facilitation, investment mobilisation and regional value chain development. 
One of the moments that drew widespread praise was the Togolese government’s announcement of visa-free entry for African nationals holding valid passports. Delegates welcomed the move as a timely and practical step toward enabling the free movement of businesses, investors and citizens across the continent, noting that integration is not only about goods and capital but also about people.
Discussions across plenary sessions, ministerial dialogues, masterclasses and business-to-business engagements tackled the real barriers holding back intra-African trade, including logistics constraints, fragmented payment systems, customs procedures, financing gaps and non-tariff barriers. Delegates noted that the AfCFTA has entered a decisive implementation phase that requires coordinated action from governments, financial institutions, infrastructure providers and African businesses.
Strategic sectors covered during the forum included regional value chains, customs harmonisation, digital trade, agriculture and food systems, industrialisation, Special Economic Zones, infrastructure corridors, cross-border payment systems, SME financing and the participation of women and youth in trade.
Several strategic partnerships and memoranda of understanding were signed during the forum to support AfCFTA implementation. These included agreements between the AfCFTA Secretariat and the International Trade Centre, Ecobank Group, Rendeavour, Africa Global Logistics and other partners focused on trade finance, logistics, SME support, industrialisation, investment and market integration.
On practical implementation, Nigeria announced its readiness to pilot the AfCFTA Electronic Certificate of Origin and Simplified Trade Regime, while Cabo Verde announced readiness to pilot the Authorised Economic Operator Programme. Discussions also advanced on One-Stop Border Posts and the Single Bond Guarantee initiative, both aimed at cutting border delays and lowering trade costs across the continent.
Delegates also engaged with digital tools supporting cross-border trade, including the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, the African Trade Gateway, the AfCFTA e-Tariff Book and Ecobank’s Single Market Trade Hub. Participants noted that Africa’s competitiveness will depend not only on physical infrastructure such as roads, ports and corridors, but also on digital connectivity and interoperable payment systems.
AfCFTA Secretary-General H.E. Wamkele Mene said the forum had shown the world that Africa’s single market is no longer a distant dream.
“Biashara Afrika 2026 has demonstrated that the AfCFTA is no longer a future ambition, but a market taking shape through partnerships, investments, infrastructure, digital innovation, and private sector leadership. The conversations in Lomé were not about possibility, but about execution,” he said.
He added: “Africa’s economic transformation will ultimately depend on our ability to enable African businesses to trade at scale across the continent. The progress witnessed during the Biashara Afrika 2026 reflects growing confidence in the AfCFTA and a shared determination to build an integrated, competitive, and resilient African market.”
