Business moguls, academics, and high-level politicians have made a strong case for a borderless African continent to facilitate the objectives of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) a reality.
They made the call at the annual Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD 2026) held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) from Wednesday, 4 to Friday, 6 February 2026.
A strong advocacy was also made for African governments to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth entrepreneurs in their countries to boost their businesses.
The three-day dialogues, held on the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade,” brought together over 3,000 participants,
Border restriction
In his statement on day three of the event, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, called on African leaders to prioritise economic integration and the removal of barriers across the continent, warning that existing borders restrict Africa’s true sovereignty and potential.
He highlighted the disconnect between the continent’s ambitious treaties and protocols and their actual implementation.
Mr Otchere-Darko recounted past efforts at global platforms such as Davos, where Africa often finds itself “not part of the major discussion,” underscoring the need for homegrown spaces like the APN dialogues to centre African voices in shaping continental growth.
“Borders restrict our sovereignty. You cannot have sovereignty when you don’t have economic leverage,” Otchere-Darko emphasised, drawing attention to Africa’s untapped economic potential.
He argued that restrictive borders hinder trade, limit youth opportunity, and stall continental prosperity.
Tracing Africa’s integration efforts from the 1977 Accra meeting that established the African Standards Organisation to the 1991 Abuja summit, which laid the foundation for the Economic Community of Africa, Otchere-Darko noted decades of unfulfilled promises.
He highlighted the signing of the Free Movement Protocol in Addis Ababa in 2018 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) two months later, lamenting that only a handful of countries have ratified these agreements.
Escalating youth unemployment
Mr. Otchere-Darko cautioned that youth unemployment, already a pressing challenge, could escalate into a major crisis if African nations fail to act decisively.
“Currently, we have 1 billion young people in Africa, and by 2040, 1.3 billion of them will be of working age. Our economy is big enough to create jobs for them, but only if we open our borders and leverage our collective potential,” he said.
He drew a stark contrast with global powers, noting that while the United States and Europe continue to fortify their borders, Africa restricts its own progress by clinging to outdated systems.
Citing the recent EU-India free trade agreement, Mr Otchere-Darko argued that Africa’s population of 1.5 billion should be a source of leverage, not limitation.
Historic initiative
Ambassador Amma Twum, Commissioner at the African Union Commission (AUC), offered strong support for the launch of the “Make Africa Borderless Now” campaign, calling it a historic initiative that advances the African Union’s integration agenda and Agenda 2063 aspirations.
She delivered these remarks at the Presidential & Business Leaders’ Dialogue, held on Day Three of the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD).
Ambassador Amma Twum, speaking on day three (the Presidential & Business Leaders’ Dialogue), described free movement as the political and practical foundation of continental integration, inclusive growth, and shared prosperity.
“A continent cannot trade freely if its people cannot move freely,” she said, noting that Africa is closer than ever to becoming a single market of over 1.4 billion people, yet unnecessary restrictions continue to slow entrepreneurs, stifle opportunity, and make Africans feel foreign in their own continent.
The Commissioner stressed that Africa was never meant to be a continent of borders but one of movement, and that the ‘Make Africa Borderless Now’ campaign could accelerate the continent’s integration by complementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“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 explained.
Time for action
Professor P. L. O. Lumumba, lawyer and former Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, in a powerful address, called for African leaders and citizens to move beyond symbolic agreements and implement the continent’s long-standing vision for unity and a borderless Africa.
He shared his thoughts during the launch of the “Make Africa Borderless Now” Movement.
Professor Lumumba commended the APN Founder and Executuve Chairman, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, and Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the APN Advisory Board Chair, for establishing the platform and organizing the conference.
Reflecting on the continent’s history, Lumumba highlighted the enduring relevance of Kwame Nkrumah’s vision for a united Africa.
He recalled how, shortly after Ghana’s independence in 1957, Nkrumah convened regional meetings promoting a borderless continent, a vision that remains largely unrealized decades later.
“Africa left Addis Ababa weak and disunited,” Lumumba said, pointing out the continued divisions into Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone, and Arabophone blocs.
Professor Lumumba stressed that Africa’s challenges—conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Sahel—cannot be ignored in discussions about a borderless continent. He criticised African reliance on foreign powers for solutions, highlighting the urgent need for self-reliance, innovation, and youth empowerment.
The former anti-corruption chief also underscored the continent’s youth potential, noting that millions of young Africans are forced to migrate due to a lack of opportunities.
“The question is: are we creating the environment for them to innovate, invent, and thrive?” he asked, urging African governments to establish visa-free travel, a single currency, and a unified identity.
Professor Lumumba declared, “It is up to us to liberate Africa. Let us say no to visas, no to division, yes to unity. It can be done. It must be done. We must have a borderless Africa.”
Concrete measures
The Chief of Staff at the office of the President of Ghana, Mr Julius Debrah, on his part, called for concrete measures to translate Africa’s continental integration into tangible economic outcomes for women, youth, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Mr. Debrah highlighted real-life challenges faced by Africans navigating the continent’s complex visa and trade systems.
“A group of young people, led by former legislator Hon. Ras Mubarak, set out to tour Africa and could only visit 31 countries because of visa delays. It took three months to obtain responses from one country,” he recounted, emphasizing the urgency of free movement for economic development.
Mr Debrah stressed that while Africa has largely established the architecture of integration, the next step is to ensure that these ambitions improve the daily lives of those who form the backbone of the continent’s economy.
“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 lauded the Africa Prosperity Network for providing a platform where policy meets capital, ideas are tested against implementation, and partnerships are formed to drive measurable outcomes.
“This dialogue has evolved beyond a conference. It is now a space where Africa’s future is discussed in terms of deals, reforms, partnerships, and tangible results,” Mr. Debrah added.
Highlighting Ghana’s commitment to economic integration, the Chief of Staff noted that the country continues to champion practical reforms through the APTA Secretariat, including simplifying customs procedures, reducing non-tariff barriers, improving logistics, strengthening value chains, and investing in industrial and digital infrastructure.
By Collins Adu-Gyamfi
