AfDB and CFC Forge Private Sector-Led Strategy to Accelerate AfCFTA Gains.
In a landmark step toward fast-tracking Africa’s economic integration, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Casablanca Finance City (CFC) convened a high-level strategic dialogue in Casablanca on 23 July 2025, with a strong focus on galvanizing private sector participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Themed “Connecting Africa – The AfCFTA Pathway,” the gathering brought together prominent private sector leaders, pan-African institutions, development finance bodies, and thought leaders to deliberate on the core enablers of a fully functional continental free trade area.
The dialogue featured senior representatives from leading institutions, including the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), Afreximbank, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), West African Development Bank (BOAD), OCP Group, Attijariwafa Bank, Africa50, Tanger Med Zone, Orange, Africa Prosperity Network, and Boston Consulting Group, among others.
Participants examined the progress of AfCFTA implementation, emphasizing the importance of private sector mobilization, infrastructure financing, and operational regional value chains to unlock the full economic potential of the agreement.
Africa’s free trade agenda is poised to reshape global trade dynamics. With 1.5 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion, the AfCFTA is the largest free trade zone globally by number of participating countries.
Forecasts suggest that intra-African trade could increase by 52% by 2035 with the full removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers. This would significantly enhance Africa’s economic resilience and self-sufficiency in the face of shifting global supply chains and economic fragmentation.
Source: devdiscourse