Economic Commission For Africa Projects Expansion In Intra-African Trade 

Economic Commission for Africa says intra-African trade in agri-food, industry, and services sectors will increase by nearly 35 percent by 2045 through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. <br />The Director of Regional Integration and Trade at ECA, Stephen Karingi says Africa’s private sector accounts for 80 percent of total production, two-thirds of investment, and three-quarters of credit, and employs 90 percent of the working-age population,” <br />The commission urged governments at all levels to fully and effectively implement the agreement for the projections to come to fruition. <br />He noted that Africa’s weak productive capacity and consequent excessive reliance on imports for essential products exposed it to external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.