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What Happens When Africa Finally Shows Up for Itself

by Jacky Muraba
written by Jacky Muraba

In the closing hours of the Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers, amid the ceremonial handshakes and congratulatory speeches, a question lingered in the air that no one wanted to ask directly: What if this actually works?

The numbers from IATF 2025 read like a fever dream of continental ambition. $48.3 billion in trade deals signed over five days. Algeria alone accounting for $11.4 billion—23.6% of the total—proving that hosting these events isn’t just about prestige, it’s about proximity to opportunity. Nearly 2,148 exhibitors, 132 participating countries, and 112,476 participants who showed up not for charity or aid, but for business.

But here’s what the scorecards don’t capture: the subtle shift in how Africans are starting to see each other as customers, not just neighbors.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Success

The most telling moment in the closing press briefing came when speakers repeatedly emphasized implementation over celebration. “It is the extent to which we are able to implement the deals signed here, that will count,” noted one participant, with the weary wisdom of someone who’s seen too many African initiatives die in the follow-through.

It’s a refreshingly honest acknowledgment that Africa’s biggest challenge isn’t generating ideas or even capital—it’s converting handshakes into supply chains, MOUs into manufacturing jobs, and promises into the mundane work of actually moving goods across borders that were never designed for commerce.

The growth trajectory tells its own story. From $43.77 billion in deals at IATF 2023 to $48.3 billion this year represents more than numerical progress—it suggests that businesses are finding real value in these connections, enough to keep coming back with bigger checkbooks and more ambitious plans.

The Algeria Effect

Algeria’s outsized performance offers a masterclass in the economics of hosting. The country didn’t just provide venues; it created an ecosystem where Algerian companies could showcase capabilities that many of their continental neighbors never knew existed.

The result: $11.4 billion in contracts that might never have materialized without the intensive exposure that comes from hosting 112,000 potential partners and customers.

This raises intriguing questions about the next host city. Lagos in 2027 isn’t just inheriting an event—it’s stepping into a proven model for economic diplomacy. Nigeria’s commercial capital, with its deeper ties to global markets and more chaotic but connected business environment, could either amplify the IATF’s impact or expose its limitations.

The Missing Infrastructure 

The elephant in every conference hall was the call for African financial institutions to step up. The gap isn’t just about capital—it’s about the mundane but essential infrastructure of modern commerce. Credit insurance, trade financing, the kind of boring but crucial services that make it possible for a Kenyan coffee roaster to trust payment from a Moroccan distributor.

“We must find a way to bring African financial institutions, credit insurance companies, factory companies, they be ready to be here, and begin to support the trade that is being generated,” one speaker noted, highlighting a chicken-and-egg problem: businesses need financial infrastructure to scale, but financial institutions need successful businesses to justify the infrastructure investment.

 

(Center) Anthonia Yetunde Alabi receiving an award during the IATF2025 Closing Ceremony in Algiers

The Youth Factor

Perhaps the most significant shift is generational. The continual focus on youth and SME involvement isn’t merely a matter of political correctness—it’s practical economic sense. Africa’s median age of 19.7 years indicates that the continent’s future trade ties will be influenced by entrepreneurs who view Lagos and Accra as inherently linked, much like London and Paris appeared to Europeans in the past.

The presence of 225 virtual exhibitors alongside 1,923 physical ones suggests this digital shift. These are not the trade relationships of your grandfather, established on colonial-era travel routes and correspondent banking ties. They are being shaped by individuals who were raised with smartphones and view artificial boundaries as hurdles to navigate rather than honor.

The Bigger Gamble

The real story isn’t the $48.3 billion in deals—it’s the bet that Africa can create economic relationships dense enough and valuable enough to compete with the gravitational pull of traditional trading partners in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Intra-African trade still represents just 15% of the continent’s total commerce, compared to 68% for European countries. But the trend lines are encouraging, and more importantly, the quality of that trade is different. When Africans trade with each other, 45% involves manufactured goods, compared to just 20% for exports outside the continent. That suggests continental commerce encourages the kind of value addition that creates jobs and builds industrial capacity.

The Implementation Test

The true measure of IATF 2025’s success won’t be found in the closing ceremony speeches or the congratulatory press releases. It will be measured in the factories that break ground in 2026, the supply chain agreements that survive their first payment cycles, and the entrepreneurs who discover that continental markets are large enough to support their biggest ambitions.

As delegates packed their bags in Algiers, carrying business cards and signed MOUs, they also carried something less tangible but equally valuable: evidence that Africa doesn’t need to wait for external validation to do business with itself.

The $48 billion question remains: Will this momentum survive the transition from conference halls to container ports, from handshakes to hard currency transfers? The answer will determine whether IATF represents a turning point in Africa’s economic story—or just another well-intentioned gathering that generated impressive numbers and inspiring speeches.

Lagos 2027 will provide the next data point in this continental experiment. The rest of the world might want to pay attention.

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AfricaEditors choice

The Wisdom of Unity: Reflections from a Continental Statesman

by Jacky Muraba
written by Jacky Muraba

There’s something profound about listening to a man who has walked the full arc of Africa’s modern journey.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, now in his role as chair of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) Advisory Council, recently shared reflections that cut to the heart of both Africa’s promise and its persistent challenges. His words carry the weight of decades spent navigating the complex terrain between idealism and pragmatism, between continental dreams and local realities.

The Genesis of Unity

Obasanjo’s journey toward pan-African thinking began not in the corridors of power, but in the classrooms of New York University in 1967, followed by his time at the University of Africa in Nigeria.

It was there, playing football with young men from across the continent, that something clicked. Unity, he realized, wasn’t just a political slogan—it was a lived experience, felt in the simple joy of shared humanity.

“We belong,” he said, with the conviction of someone who has seen this truth tested by fire. “We all have unity. Unity of match.”

This wasn’t mere rhetoric. When he spoke of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1960s, of peacekeeping missions and the collaborative efforts of African leaders, there was an understanding that without that unity, many of today’s freedoms—including the freedom of a black South African woman to sit on that stage as an interviewer—might never have been realized.

The Paradox of Progress

Yet for all the progress symbolized by the IATF’s growth from a modest beginning to a gathering of 48 African countries plus international participants, Obasanjo doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. The continent that showed such solidarity in times of external threat now finds itself plagued by internal conflicts. Africans fighting Africans. The irony wasn’t lost on him.

His diagnosis is unflinching: mismanagement at every level. Not just political mismanagement, but what he called “diversity mismanagement”—the failure to harness the continent’s rich differences as a source of strength rather than division. Security challenges persist because the fundamental work of governance, of building institutions that serve people rather than elites, remains incomplete.

The Brutal Honesty About Global Economics

Perhaps the most striking moment came when Obasanjo shifted to economics, revealing a conversation that laid bare the harsh realities of global trade. With characteristic bluntness, he recounted being told: “We devised capitalism for ourselves, not for you… not even for humanity’s sake.”

This wasn’t the bitter complaint of a defeated leader, but the clear-eyed assessment of someone who understands the game being played. “Market has been our food. It’s market for my good profit and for your good loss,” he observed. “Globalization means you close your door, me, I should open my door, and you get everything out of my house.”

The solution, in his view, isn’t to retreat from global markets but to understand them better—and to turn inward with equal vigor. He spoke of Uganda’s 5.5 billion liters of milk production, of Nigeria’s potential demand, of the simple logic of supply chains that could transform continental trade if only African countries chose to trade with each other with the same intensity they trade with distant partners.

Beyond the Politics of Hope

What emerges from Obasanjo’s reflections isn’t the typical narrative of either Afro-pessimism or naive optimism. Instead, it’s something more valuable: practical wisdom born from experience. He has seen what unity can achieve—in liberation struggles, in peacekeeping, in the growing success of initiatives like the IATF. But he has also seen how easily that unity can fracture when the immediate threat recedes and the hard work of building institutions begins.

His message seems to be that Africa’s future depends not on grand gestures or soaring rhetoric, but on the mundane work of good governance, of understanding markets, of choosing to see fellow Africans as partners rather than competitors. It requires what he called “match”—not just political unity, but economic unity, cultural unity, the deep integration that comes from recognizing shared destiny.

The Long View

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AfricaBusiness

$2 Billion Afrexim Facility Targets Africa’s Sub-Sovereign Development Gap

by Jacky Muraba
written by Jacky Muraba

At the fifth edition of the African Sub-Sovereign Government Network (AfSNET) Investment Dialogue, held in Algeria during the Inter-African Trade Fair 2025, African leaders announced a landmark $2 billion facility designed to strengthen sub-sovereign governments and mobilize private sector investments across the continent.

The event brought together governors, premiers, mayors, and industry leaders to address Africa’s persistent development disparities and chart a path toward more inclusive growth.

Addressing Africa’s Development Paradox

Despite encouraging economic performance in recent years, with per capita income rising from approximately $1,900 in 2016 to $2,500 in 2024, Africa faces a troubling paradox.

As Afrexim Bank President Professor Benedict Orama noted during his keynote address, reports from the World Bank and Oxfam indicate that “the benefits of unprecedented economic growth have gone to a tiny few, increasing the gap between the richest and the poorest.”

This disparity is starkly illustrated by the economic trajectory of Zambia, which was once richer than Chile in copper exports. Today, the average Zambian income is less than one-tenth that of Chileans, with regions like the copper belt falling even further behind the capital city of Lusaka. As Orama referenced from economist Paul Collier’s work, “Not only has Zambia become a left-behind country, but within it, there are regions exemplified by its copper belt that have been more extremely affected.”

Such internal disparities reflect a broader continental trend that the AfSNET initiative aims to address through a fundamental shift from centralized to decentralized development planning.

The Strategic Role of Sub-Sovereign Governments

AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene emphasized that sub-sovereign governments are “uniquely positioned to support cross-border trade, industrial development, and renewable energy investments.” These regional and local authorities are viewed as essential to realizing the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area, particularly in connecting rural communities to urban economies and unlocking regional potential.

“Sub-sovereign governments are essential to realizing the objectives of the AfCFTA, which is why we actively participate and support this initiative,” Mene stated during the conference proceedings.

The platform serves as a vital space for sub-sovereign governments to showcase bankable investment projects to global investors and engage stakeholders relevant to shaping sub-national initiatives aimed at driving industrial development and cross-border trade.

Three Key Priorities for Success

Mene outlined three critical priorities for maximizing the impact of sub-sovereign development:

  • National Policy Alignment: National governments should promote decentralization and synchronize policies with the unique strengths of their sub-sovereign entities. This necessitates a thorough evaluation of the significant role that regional and local governments have in strategies for industrial development.
  • Active Sub-Sovereign Participation: Sub-sovereign administrations need to fully embrace and engage in development platforms by utilizing tools like special economic zones, industrial growth strategies, and the recently introduced trade finance facility.
  • Development Finance Support: Financial institutions and development partners must persist in offering essential assistance at the sub-sovereign level, especially in infrastructure projects and initiatives that facilitate trade

Breakthrough in Special Economic Zones Policy

A significant policy breakthrough announced at the conference addresses what officials described as a critical “anomaly” in Africa’s trade framework. Previously, African countries welcomed goods from special economic zones in third countries at preferential rates, often displacing domestic production and markets.

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union has now adopted regulations that place special economic zones at the center of Africa’s industrial development. All goods produced in African special economic zones will henceforth enjoy full preferences and benefits under the AfCFTA framework.

This policy shift is expected to boost manufacturing capacity across the continent, with anticipated positive results in Benin, Togo, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco’s Tangier, Egypt, and other locations where governments have invested in productive capacity with African development banks and regional stakeholders.

Implementation in Action: The Oyo State Model

As a concrete example of this approach, Mene announced that the AfCFTA Secretariat and Oyo State in Nigeria will officially launch the AfCFTA Strategy for Implementation specifically designed for the benefit of Oyo State and its people. This initiative demonstrates how sub-national entities can establish themselves firmly within the AfCFTA ecosystem, contributing to accelerated development and job creation.

The strategy includes identifying and developing industrial parks, special economic zones, and quality assurance centers—all critical pillars of effective AfCFTA implementation at the sub-sovereign level.

Wamkele Mene, AfCFTA Secretary-General

Algeria as a Model for Decentralized Development

The choice of Algeria as the conference host was strategic and instructive. Since the 1980s, Algeria has steadily moved away from centralized planning, resulting in the continent’s lowest inequality index as measured by the Gini coefficient. This places Algeria among the top ten African countries with the least wealth disparity.

While regional disparities in economic outcomes still exist, the gaps in Algeria are notably narrower than those found in many other African nations. The country’s extensive Mediterranean port network, burgeoning renewable energy sector, and modernizing industrial base present significant opportunities for fostering strong regional and continental trade and investment collaborations.

Conference participants were encouraged to leverage this opportunity to share development aspirations and projects, forging lasting connections with Algerian partners and taking advantage of the country’s strategic position linking North African, Mediterranean, and sub-Saharan markets.

Supporting Infrastructure and Mechanisms

The conference highlighted several key enablers that are essential to the success of sub-sovereign development initiatives:

  • The Transit Guarantee Scheme for facilitating cross-border trade
  • Strategy for Industrial Development leveraging Special Economic Zones
  • African Development Bank’s Africa Trade Gateway platform
  • Pan-African Payment and Settlement System for seamless transactions
  • Automotive Sector Strategy and other capacity-building initiatives

These mechanisms, combined with the $2 billion trade finance facility, provide sub-sovereign governments with comprehensive tools to drive local development while contributing to continental integration objectives.

The Path Forward: From Periphery to Center

The AfSNET platform represents a fundamental philosophical shift in African development thinking. As President Orama emphasized, “We believe that for most of our countries, development will come from the periphery and not the center.”

This approach recognizes that sustainable, inclusive development must be driven by regional and local authorities who understand their communities’ specific needs, comparative advantages, and potential. The $2 billion commitment, coupled with policy reforms and enhanced cooperation frameworks, provides unprecedented support for this bottom-up development model.

Building Sustainable Public-Private Partnerships

The conference emphasized that partnerships between the public and private sectors will be essential for mobilizing the resources needed to achieve infrastructure development, special economic zones, and sustainable development goals.

The AfSNET initiative focuses on positioning sub-sovereign governments at the core of Africa’s economic transformation to guarantee that young individuals and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are integral to the continent’s development strategy.

As Secretary-General Mene noted, “The evidence is clear: trade and investment are catalysts for job creation, innovation, and improved quality of life.” This makes platforms like AfSNET imperative for engaging young people and SMEs while addressing pressing challenges such as rapid urbanization, youth unemployment, and rural-urban migration.

Continental Integration Through Regional Empowerment

The success of the AfCFTA depends significantly on the active participation of sub-sovereign governments. These entities serve as crucial intermediaries connecting rural communities to urban economies and regional markets to continental trade networks. Their role in developing trade routes that integrate goods and services produced in special economic zones into the broader AfCFTA market is particularly vital.

As Africa continues its journey toward greater economic integration, the commitments made at the Algeria conference represent a significant step toward ensuring that no region is left behind in the continent’s economic transformation. The focus on empowering sub-sovereign governments reflects a mature understanding that continental success depends on regional prosperity and local empowerment.

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The African Sub-Sovereign Government Network continues to serve as a vital platform for amplifying the voices of sub-sovereign governments in development policy, unlocking new opportunities, and driving sustainable trade and growth across Africa.

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AfricaBusiness

Create. Connect. Deliver. IATF – Africa’s Trade Fair Formula for Continental Transformation

by Jacky Muraba
written by Jacky Muraba

Walking along CIC Algeria corridors, three words hang prominently across the entrance banners at Africa’s premier trade gathering this week: “Create. Connect. Deliver.”

Simple as they appear, these words tell the story of a continent attempting something audacious – rewriting the rules of how it does business with itself.

Inside the sprawling exhibition halls of the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair, those three imperatives come alive in ways both grand and intimate.

Here’s a Mauritanian fishing company that created a new processing facility, connected with African buyers, and delivered a 65% jump in exports. There’s a Nigerian drone innovator who created agricultural solutions, connected with Singaporean investors, and now delivers farming technology across four continents.

But perhaps nowhere is this formula more vivid than in the tale of Tanzania’s ambitious bet on homegrown electricity.

Create: When International Partners Said No

Picture this: Tanzania needed 6,000 megawatts of electricity. Seasonal flooding was devastating communities along the Rufiji River. Farmers needed irrigation support. The solution seemed obvious – build a massive hydropower project at Stiegler’s Gorge.

International financiers took one look at the $2.9 billion price tag and the complex engineering requirements, then politely declined. Insurance companies passed. Even contractors from traditional partners shook their heads.

So Tanzania got creative. At the 2018 IATF in Cairo, they found Egyptian contractors Arab Contractors and El-Sewedy Electric who were willing to take on what others considered too risky. African financiers, led by Afreximbank, arranged guarantees that international banks wouldn’t touch.

Today, the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project stands as Africa’s largest intra-continental engineering project, delivering clean power to 60 million Tanzanians while ending the deadly floods that once claimed lives each rainy season.

 

 

Connect: The Art of African Problem-Solving

The connection part isn’t just about introducing buyers to sellers – though there’s plenty of that happening in Algiers this week. It’s about linking solutions to problems across a continent where geography and colonial-era infrastructure often made neighbors feel like strangers.

But connection also happens in smaller, more human ways. When delegates complain about having to fly through European cities to reach Algiers – a common grumble heard in conference corridors – they’re highlighting how colonial-era flight patterns still dictate African travel nearly seven decades after independence.

The solution involves both ambition and patience: opening Africa’s skies through the Single African Air Transport Market while building the digital payment systems that let a farmer in Ghana pay a supplier in Kenya as easily as sending a text message.

Deliver: Beyond the Handshake Deals

African trade fairs have a reputation for generating impressive-sounding commitments that somehow evaporate once the exhibition halls empty and delegates return home. The IATF has taken a different approach – obsessively tracking what happens after the handshakes.

Take SAMAPECHE, a mid-sized Mauritanian company that arrived at the 2023 Cairo fair looking for €12 million to expand their fish processing operations. Twelve months later, they had built their factory, added 3,000 metric tonnes of storage capacity, acquired three new boats, and boosted exports by 65%.

Or consider the Comoros Islands, where tourism had languished for decades. An IATF connection with Egypt’s El-Sewedy Group led to the Galawa Hotel Project – a five-star resort now rising on the northwest coast where the country’s legendary hotel once stood.

These aren’t billion-dollar deals that make headlines. They’re the kind of steady, practical victories that actually change how people live and work.

The Peaceful Revolution

Afreximbank’s outgoing president, Prof. Benedict Oramah, framed this three-word formula within a larger historical narrative. Speaking from the same city where African liberation movements once planned their struggles against colonial rule, he described current integration efforts as a “peaceful revolution.”

“Instead of being trained in military camps, the freedom fighters for this new battle are being trained in technical schools and universities,” Oramah told the gathering of 35,000 participants. “Instead of fighting in trenches, this battle will be fought on factory floors and tech incubation centers.”

The metaphor isn’t purely rhetorical. Algeria, which gained independence through armed struggle in 1962, is now using economic diplomacy to advance Pan-African unity. The country’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has positioned his nation as a bridge between North Africa, the broader continent, and global markets.

The Numbers Game

Behind the inspiring stories lie sobering statistics. Africa contributes just 2.9% to global trade despite holding 18% of the world’s population. Intra-African commerce represents only 15% of the continent’s total trade, compared to 68% for European countries.

But the trends are encouraging. Intra-African trade hit $220.3 billion in 2024, up 12.4% from the previous year. More importantly, 45% of trade between African countries involves manufactured goods, compared to just 20% for exports outside the continent. This suggests that trading with neighbors encourages the kind of value addition that creates jobs and builds industrial capacity.

The IATF itself has become a measurable success. The four editions since 2018 have generated combined commitments exceeding $160 billion, with this week’s Algiers gathering targeting $44 billion more.

The Next Chapter

As the week progresses in Algiers, the “Create. Connect. Deliver” formula faces its biggest test yet. Nigeria has been selected to host the 2027 edition, continuing the fair’s rotation across African regions. Zimbabwe will house the fair’s new permanent headquarters as it transitions from an Afreximbank initiative to an independent continental institution.

The real measure of success won’t be the deals announced from podiums, but the follow-up calls made six months from now, the factories that break ground next year, and the young entrepreneurs who discover that continental markets are large enough to support their biggest dreams.

Walking past those banner words one more time – “Create. Connect. Deliver” – it’s hard not to think they represent something larger than a trade fair slogan. They might just be Africa’s formula for finishing the independence project that began in the 1960s, this time through fiber optic cables and mobile payment systems rather than liberation armies.

The revolution, as Oramah noted, continues. It just looks different than anyone expected.

The IATF2025 runs through September 10 in Algiers, with daily exhibitions, policy dialogues, and networking sessions designed to turn the three-word formula into concrete business relationships

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Africa’s Premier Trade Fair Opens in Algeria with Record Participation

by Jacky Muraba
written by Jacky Muraba

The 4th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) opened in Algiers on September 4, drawing record participation as African leaders seek to accelerate continental economic integration through trade and investment.

The week-long event, running until September 10, has attracted over 35,000 participants and more than 2,000 exhibitors from across the globe, with organizers targeting over $44 billion in trade and investment commitments – surpassing the $43 billion achieved at the 2023 edition in Cairo.

A record 140 African countries are participating in exhibitions, the highest number since the fair’s inception in 2018, signaling growing continental commitment to intra-African trade development.

Nigeria Selected as 2027 Host

In a major announcement during the opening ceremony, Nigeria was revealed as the host country for IATF2027. Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole formally accepted the hosting mandate on behalf of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The selection continues the fair’s tradition of rotating across different African regions, following previous editions in Cairo (2018), Durban (2021), and Cairo again (2023).

Institutional Independence

IATF organizers announced plans to establish the trade fair as an independent continental institution with permanent headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe. Afreximbank, which initiated the IATF project in 2018, has approved $28 million in initial capitalization for the new entity.

“After 4 events and almost 8 years, it is time to institutionalize the initiative and lessen the burden on Afreximbank and its collaborating partners,” said Prof. Benedict Oramah, Afreximbank President, in his final address to the fair as the bank’s leader.

Theme Focuses on Sustainable Growth

This year’s theme, “Boosting Intra-African Trade for a Sustainable Future: Innovation, Value Addition, and Green Industrialization,” reflects the continent’s push toward processing raw materials locally rather than exporting unfinished commodities.

African Union Deputy Chairperson Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi emphasized the urgent need for transformation: “We speak of industrialization, but our ambition will remain words on a page unless African industries have access to power, roads, logistics, and digital connectivity.”

Kenya Outlines Infrastructure Push

Kenya’s Deputy President Kithure Kindiki used the platform to highlight his country’s major infrastructure investments supporting regional trade integration. These include the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSET) corridor, standard gauge railway extensions, and a 100,000-kilometer fiber optic expansion program.

“We are investing in infrastructure, in the digital superhighway, and also investing in modernizing our financial services to facilitate trade,” H.E Prof. Kithure Kindiki, Deputy President to Kenya told the gathering, noting that 24,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables have already been installed.

He also mentioned that Kenya is developing one-stop border points with Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia to streamline cross-border trade processes.

Trade Growth Momentum

The fair opens against a backdrop of growing intra-African trade, which reached $220.3 billion in 2024 – a 12.4% increase from 2023, according to Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2025.

However, intra-African trade still represents only 15% of the continent’s total trade, compared to 68% for European countries and 58% for Asian nations. Africa’s overall contribution to global trade remains at just 2.9%.

AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene noted that while primary commodities still dominate African trade, there is clear growth in machinery, motor vehicles, food products, chemicals, and electronics – signaling a gradual shift toward industrial diversification.

Major Deals Expected

Previous IATF editions have generated significant business outcomes. The 2018 Cairo fair facilitated the $2.9 billion Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project between Egyptian contractors and Tanzania. The 2021 Durban edition achieved $42 billion in commitments despite the global pandemic.

At the 2023 Cairo fair, Mauritanian company SAMAPECHE secured a €12 million deal that enabled it to build a fish processing factory and increase exports by over 65%.

Focus on Youth and Innovation

The fair features a Youth Start-Up Pavilion showcasing 63 start-ups with innovative solutions, along with masterclasses on venture capital and investment readiness. The program is delivered in collaboration with Algeria’s Ministry of Start-Ups.

An African Women in Processing Pavilion (AWIP) highlights female entrepreneurs in value-addition sectors, supporting the AU’s goal of inclusive economic transformation.

Challenges Remain

Despite growing momentum, significant obstacles persist. Many delegates had to transit through European cities to reach Algiers, illustrating ongoing connectivity challenges across the continent.

The newly launched AfCFTA Adjustment Fund aims to address integration challenges by cushioning short-term revenue losses and helping private sectors adapt to new trade arrangements.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chairs the IATF Advisory Council, framed the gathering as more than a trade event: “IATF is a symbol of Africa’s economic awakening, where the power of trade and investment unifies us from across regions of the African continent.”

The combined trade and investment commitments from the first three IATF editions have exceeded $120 billion, with this year’s Algiers edition expected to push the cumulative total above $160 billion.

The IATF2025 continues through September 10 with exhibitions, policy dialogues, and networking sessions aimed at strengthening intra-African trade relationships.

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Countdown begins to the fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algiers

by Jacky Muraba
written by Jacky Muraba

Over 35,000 visitors from more than 140 countries across the world are expected to converge in Algiers, Algeria from 4– 10 September 2025 to attend the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025), Africa’s premier trade and investment event.

During the week-long fair, more than 2,000 exhibitors, including businesses from the African continent and globally, will be showcasing their goods and services to the visitors and buyers while exploring opportunities and exchanging information. This is projected to translate into over US$44 billion in trade and investment deals.

Hosted by the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria under the theme ‘Gateway to New Opportunities’, the week-long event offers a platform for boosting trade and investment. It aims to tap into opportunities from the single market of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) of over 1.4 billion people and a GDP of over US$3.5 trillion. The fair is held biennially by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat.

The Chairman of the Advisory Council of IATF and former President of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said: “The IATF has distinguished itself as an instrument for promoting intra-African trade and investment by enabling businesses to interact and access trade and market information opportunities. Over $100 billion in trade and investment deals have been closed cumulatively with over 70,000 visitors and more than 4,500 exhibitors participating in the last three editions of IATF. We welcome African businesses to tap into the opportunities to market, grow sales, expand to new markets and to exchange ideas with peers. We thank our host, Algeria, which is one of the continent’s more advanced economies”.

Heads of State and Governments, Ministers of Trade, Finance, Culture and other ministries as well as high profile business, small & medium enterprises and industry leaders are expected to attend IATF2025.

Chief Obasanjo added “IATF is the largest, holistic trade fair championing the continent’s growth and development. It serves as a collaborative platform for driving shared aspirations for prosperity and stability, as envisioned by AfCFTA. It is a strong backbone for meaningful transformation of Africa and enhancing resilience by creating a gateway to new opportunities for economies and businesses through intra-African trade and investment.“

Key activities lined up for IATF2025 include a trade exhibition by countries and businesses; the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme with a dedicated exhibition and summit covering fashion, music, film, arts and craft, sports, literature, gastronomy and culinary arts; a four-day Trade and Investment Forum featuring leading African and international speakers; and the Africa Automotive Show for auto manufacturers, assemblers, original equipment manufacturers and component suppliers.

There will be Special Days dedicated for countries as well as public and private entities to showcase trade and investment opportunities, and tourism and cultural attractions, as well as IATF Diaspora Day which highlights commercial and cultural ties between Africa and its diaspora, featuring a Diaspora Summit, market and exhibition, cultural and gastronomic showcase.

Also planned is a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) platform for matchmaking and business exchanges; the AU Youth Start-Up programme showcasing innovative ideas and prototypes; the Africa Research and Innovation Platform @IATF for university students, academia and national researchers to exhibit innovations; and the African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network to promote trade, investment, educational and cultural exchanges at the local level. The IATF Virtual platform is already live, connecting exhibitors and visitors throughout the year.

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