Thought leaders, business executives and political office holders at the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) have renewed calls for a borderless Africa, arguing that free movement across the continent is essential to unlocking the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The three-day forum, held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) from February 4 to 6, brought together more than 3,000 participants under the theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade.” Discussions focused on dismantling barriers to trade and creating practical opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), women and young entrepreneurs.
Borders restrict sovereignty
Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, made a strong case for accelerated economic integration, warning that Africa’s borders continue to limit its sovereignty and economic potential.
“Borders restrict our sovereignty. You cannot have sovereignty when you don’t have economic leverage,” he said on the final day of the conference, urging leaders to move beyond declarations and ensure implementation of existing continental agreements.
He pointed to what he described as a persistent gap between Africa’s ambitious treaties and their execution.
While recalling Africa’s long history of integration efforts—from the 1977 Accra meeting that established the African Standards Organization to the 1991 Abuja Treaty—Mr. Otchere-Darko noted that many commitments remain unfulfilled.
He referenced the signing of the Free Movement Protocol in 2018 and the AfCFTA shortly thereafter, lamenting that only a handful of countries have fully ratified and operationalised these frameworks.
According to him, the stakes are rising. Africa is home to approximately one billion young people, a figure projected to reach 1.3 billion of working age by 2040.
Without decisive action, youth unemployment could escalate into a major crisis.
“Our economy is big enough to create jobs for them, but only if we open our borders and leverage our collective potential,” he said.
AU backs free movement
Supporting the call, Ambassador Amma Twum, Commissioner at the African Union Commission (AUC), described the “Make Africa Borderless Now” campaign launched at the Dialogue as a historic initiative aligned with the AU’s Agenda 2063.
Addressing the Presidential and Business Leaders’ Dialogue, she said free movement is the political and practical foundation of continental integration.
“A continent cannot trade freely if its people cannot move freely,” she stated, adding that unnecessary visa restrictions and administrative bottlenecks continue to stifle entrepreneurship and limit opportunity.
Ambassador Twum noted that Africa is closer than ever to becoming a single market of over 1.4 billion people, yet regulatory and mobility barriers still make Africans feel like foreigners within their own continent.
“Goods do not cross borders alone. People carry them. Services do not scale without skills. Investment does not flow without mobility. A single market without free movement is a marketplace with locked doors,” she said.
Time for action
Professor P. L. O. Lumumba, lawyer and former Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, called for bold implementation of Africa’s unity agenda rather than symbolic commitments.
Reflecting on Kwame Nkrumah’s early advocacy for a united Africa, he observed that the vision of continental unity remains largely unrealised decades after independence movements swept the continent.
“Africa left Addis Ababa weak and disunited,” he said, referring to enduring divisions along Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone and Arabophone lines.
Professor Lumumba cautioned that Africa’s internal conflicts—including those in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sahel—cannot be ignored in discussions about integration. However, he argued that reliance on foreign powers to resolve African challenges undermines the continent’s self-determination.
He urged governments to establish visa-free travel regimes, pursue a unified identity framework and deepen economic collaboration to create opportunities for the continent’s youth.
“It is up to us to liberate Africa. Let us say no to visas, no to division, yes to unity,” he declared.
Focus on SMEs, women and youth
On the policy front, Ghana’s Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah, called for concrete measures to translate integration ambitions into measurable economic outcomes for SMEs, women and youth.
He cited practical challenges faced by Africans navigating visa systems, recounting how a group of young travellers was able to visit only 31 countries due to prolonged visa delays, including a three-month wait for one response.
Mr. Debrah stressed that while Africa has developed the architecture of integration, the next phase must focus on implementation that improves livelihoods.
“SMEs account for the overwhelming majority of businesses and jobs, yet only a small fraction participate in cross-border trade. Women entrepreneurs and young innovators face structural barriers to finance, markets and technology,” he said.
He commended the Africa Prosperity Network for creating a platform that moves beyond rhetoric to actionable partnerships and reforms.
Highlighting Ghana’s role in advancing integration, Mr. Debrah noted ongoing efforts to simplify customs procedures, reduce non-tariff barriers, improve logistics, strengthen value chains and invest in industrial and digital infrastructure.
From dialogue to delivery
As APD 2026 concluded, participants were united in the view that Africa’s integration agenda can no longer remain aspirational.
For AfCFTA to deliver shared prosperity, speakers agreed, the continent must embrace free movement, dismantle outdated barriers and create an enabling environment for its entrepreneurs to innovate, collaborate and trade across borders.
