The Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, has commended Liberia for its swift ratification of the AfCFTA Agreement, marking it as the 48th state party to join the trade bloc. During his visit to Liberia, Mene praised the country’s expedited ratification process, describing it as “quite remarkable.” In a meeting with the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Amin Modad, Mene expressed his eagerness to collaborate with the Liberian government to craft a national strategy aligned with the AfCFTA framework and support capacity development initiatives.
“We will send a team to work with you to ensure we have a national strategy that is aligned to the private-sector strategy and is consistent with the overall AfCFTA goals,” Mene affirmed. He emphasized the importance of capacity building over mere compliance monitoring, noting a comprehensive program designed for all member countries. Mene also invited Liberia to participate in the AfCFTA’s “Guided Trade Initiative,” which facilitates trade for countries ready from a customs systems perspective, stressing that the AfCFTA represents a crucial opportunity for Africa’s economic advancement.
Minister Amin Modad expressed profound appreciation for Mene’s visit and the AfCFTA Secretariat’s support. He acknowledged the AfCFTA’s pivotal role in Liberia’s economic development strategy and outlined critical infrastructure challenges, including limited transportation networks, energy supply, and telecommunications. Modad sought support for public-private partnerships to upgrade infrastructure essential for efficient trade under the AfCFTA framework. He also emphasized the need for industrial capacity building, particularly in sectors like agriculture and mining, and urged the AfCFTA to support technology transfer, industrial training programs, and the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs).
In addition, Minister Modad highlighted the necessity of facilitating trade finance, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and pointed out inefficiencies in the current trade facilitation infrastructure. He proposed developing innovative financial products for trade finance and enhancing trade facilitation infrastructure, including implementing a single-window system. Modad also stressed the importance of addressing the skills gap in Liberia’s labor market, seeking support for vocational and technical training programs and continuing education initiatives to build a competent workforce.
Recognizing the essential role of the private sector in the AfCFTA’s implementation, Minister Modad called for enhanced engagement with private enterprises and the development of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress and assess the impact of AfCFTA implementation on Liberia’s economy. He reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to the AfCFTA’s goals of fostering economic integration and sustainable development, looking forward to ongoing dialogue to address emerging challenges and opportunities in the implementation process. The AfCFTA, a key project under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, aims to promote socio-economic growth by accelerating intra-African trade and enhancing Africa’s global trading position.