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Summary
Vice President Prof. Jane Naana urged action on trade barriers, digital infrastructure, and industrialisation at the 2025 APD
Vice President Prof. Jane Naana, speaking at the 2025 Africa Prosperity Dialogues on January 30, 2025, emphasised the urgent need for collaborative infrastructure development to drive economic integration and achieve Africa’s single market.
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) is a purposeful, high-profile platform that convenes Africa’s political, business, and thought leaders to advance the continent’s integration and shared prosperity in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Held under the theme “Delivering Africa’s Single Market through Infrastructure: Invest. Connect. Integrate,” APD 2025 took place from January 30 to February 1 at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The discussions focused on strengthening the African market, particularly emphasising the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the pressing need for economic unification across the continent.
In her address, Vice President Prof. Jane Naana expressed her appreciation for the diverse and insightful contributions shared during the dialogues. She highlighted concerns over persistent trade barriers and their impact on Africa’s economic potential, stressing the importance of tackling these challenges even as the continent celebrates its achievements.
“We must prioritise the infrastructural development, without which our hopes for a single market and economic integration will remain a challenge,” she stated.
Additionally, she underscored the need to build a robust digital infrastructure to support industrialisation and enhance intra-African trade.
Speakers also emphasised the need to shift from raw material exports to value-added manufacturing, prioritise industrialisation, and remove trade barriers to drive economic growth. The event drew over 3,000 delegates from 46 countries, including seven African heads of state. Discussions centred on expanding women’s access to finance, markets, and technology and initiatives promoting their participation in politics and business.
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues serves as a crucial forum for shaping policies and fostering collaboration between governments and private sector leaders to advance Africa’s economic transformation.
