US-Israel-Iran War: Africa’s AFCTA Must Take Effect Immediately

The World Trade Organisation has kicked off its 14th biennial WTO Ministerial Conference on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Yaounde, Cameroon, where the organisation is focusing on WTO reforms amid the collapse of the old world order.  During the conference, the Director-General of the WTO highlighted the challenges besetting the WTO.  The Director-General of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, citing ongoing geopolitical conflicts, failed negotiations, and tariff hikes, said that global trade is at its lowest in the last 80 years. The DG also noted that one of the problems that led to the collapse of negotiations and the trade system was the “lack of transparency.” “Lack of transparency leads to lack of trust, and that breeds suspicions of unfairness and anti-competitive behaviours,” she reasoned.  Recognising this collapse, she emphasised that “The world order and the multilateral system we used to know has irrevocably changed.” As a result, the organisation has to create new means to improve the organisation’s decision-making ability, and on the other hand, countries of the world must take new approaches to trade rules and policy for a new world order.

For African countries, the breakdown of global trade reflects the urgent need to fully implement the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was established in March 2018 to create a single market across the continent. Currently, 54 of the 55 African Union member states have signed the agreement, and over 47 countries have officially ratified it. While the Secretariat, led by Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, oversaw the official start of trading on January 1, 2021, the initiative remains a long-term project involving multiple phases of negotiation to achieve full implementation.

The agreement offers a practical path for African economies to reduce dependence on unstable global markets and build a more resilient internal trade system. By lowering tariffs and removing trade barriers across the continent, it creates a single market where goods, services, and investments can move with fewer restrictions. This shift will allow African countries to rely more on each other rather than distant partners whose policies and conflicts often disrupt trade flows.

African countries are, by geography and proximity, natural trading partners. This is understandable considering that with an intra-African trading system, the burdens of transportation and supply chain are lower, and the presence of cultural and regional ties supports easier exchange of goods and services. The AfCFTA will address this gap by encouraging regional value chains, where raw materials and finished goods circulate within the continent. Consequently, this will strengthen local industries, support job creation, and reduce the need to export raw resources only to import finished products at higher costs. Beyond economics, the agreement also carries strategic value. Africa needs a unified trade front that can withstand external shocks. The AfCFTA positions the continent as a collective economic bloc with stronger bargaining power in global negotiations. It promotes policy coordination, improves trade governance, and builds trust among member states.