African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary-General Wamkele Mene has held high-level talks in Morocco aimed at advancing the implementation of the continent's flagship free trade agreement and strengthening Africa's economic integration agenda.

During his visit (July 13 – 14), Mene met with Morocco's Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Omar Hejira, to review progress on AfCFTA implementation, discuss Morocco's role in the continental market, and prepare for the AfCFTA Business Forum scheduled for 3–4 December 2026.

Speaking at the Fourth Africa Economic Symposium, the Secretary-General described the AfCFTA as a strategic platform for expanding Africa's productive capacity, strengthening regional value chains, and building more resilient economies capable of driving long-term industrial transformation.

Highlighting that intra-African trade exceeded 220 billion US dollars in 2024, Mene called for faster implementation of the agreement and increased investment in priority sectors to unlock the continent's growth potential and accelerate industrial development.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world's largest free trade zone by number of participating countries. Encompassing 54 African Union (AU) nations, the agreement connects a market of 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of approximately $3.4 trillion. Its primary goal is to boost intra-African trade and lift millions out of poverty.