Access Bank Calls for Stronger Collaboration to Boost Intra-African Trade
Access Bank Plc has called for stronger collaboration among policymakers, financiers and businesses to accelerate intra-African trade and unlock the continent’s economic potential.
The bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Roosevelt Ogbonna, made the call during the Access Bank Africa Trade Conference (ATC 2026) held in South Africa.
Speaking in his opening remarks, Ogbonna said Africa must address persistent structural barriers that continue to limit the growth of intra-continental commerce despite the continent’s vast market opportunities.
He noted that Africa’s share of global trade remains relatively small, citing fragmented trade corridors and structural bottlenecks that hinder business expansion across borders.
“The reality is that Africa still controls a small share of global trade. The corridors are still fragmented and more aspirational than functional, and too many small businesses that aspire to trade across Africa remain constrained,” Ogbonna said.
He explained that the conference was convened to continue conversations initiated during the inaugural edition in 2025 on expanding trade within the continent while strengthening Africa’s participation in global markets.
Ogbonna highlighted three priorities identified during the previous conference to transform Africa’s trade landscape. These include breaking down silos between policymakers, financial institutions and businesses; building a trade ecosystem driven by reliable data and analytics; and developing systems that support both large corporations and smaller businesses seeking cross-border expansion.
He added that the 2026 conference is a continuation of efforts to drive meaningful progress in intra-African trade, noting that some positive developments have already been recorded in key sectors.
“We have seen value chains emerging across agriculture, manufacturing and services, and we are seeing African brands crossing borders and building a global presence,” he said.
Ogbonna also pointed to the growing role of technology platforms in reducing trade barriers in areas such as payments, logistics and market access. However, he acknowledged that progress remains uneven across the continent, with advancements concentrated in a few markets and specific trade corridors.
Speaking on infrastructure financing, the Director-General for Southern Africa at the African Development Bank, Kennedy Mbekeani, emphasised the need to mobilise private capital to finance critical infrastructure required for Africa’s trade integration.
“The mobilisation of private capital remains crucial as many African governments are constrained by limited fiscal space and overstretched balance sheets,” Mbekeani said.
Meanwhile, Chipoka Mulenga, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry of Zambia, stressed that policy alignment among African countries would be essential in unlocking the continent’s trade potential.
“Policy is very important in making anything come together. It must be consistent, resilient and coherent. If intra-African trade must be enhanced, we must deliberately craft policies that speak the same language across our countries,” Mulenga said.
Also contributing to the discussion, Elizabeth Ajare noted that Africa does not lack policy frameworks but rather faces challenges with harmonised implementation.
“Africa does not lack policies; we already have many. Our challenge is the implementation of these policies in a harmonised manner,” she said.
Ajare further emphasised the importance of mutual recognition frameworks, noting that harmonising standards and recognising certification processes across countries would facilitate smoother trade.
Similarly, Tiroeaone Ntsima said African governments must focus on creating enabling environments that allow businesses and investors to drive economic growth.
“The governments of today are not like those of the 1960s where everything was done by government. Our role now is to create an enabling environment for businesses and investors to thrive,” Ntsima said.
He added that Botswana is repositioning itself as a key regional trade corridor, shifting its narrative from being landlocked to being “land-linked” through strategic connectivity with markets across the continent.
In his closing remarks, Ogbonna urged stakeholders across Africa to move beyond dialogue and take concrete actions that strengthen trade relationships among African countries.
“This conference must not end as another talking shop. It must become the birthplace of a movement that contributes to transforming intra-African trade,” he said.
