Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, the founder and chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network, has said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) promises economic integration hence its success will be the collective success of the African continent.
Otchere-Darko said Africans must put in every effort to achieve the goals of the AfCFTA.
Speaking at the opening of the maiden Africa Prosperity Dialogues at the Safari Valley Resort in Adukrom in the Eastern Region, he said, “Its [AfCFTA’s] success is our success. If it works, it will boost significantly trade and investments, provide jobs and increase prosperity across the continent, like never before.”
“But, in order for it to work and work for us, the workings of the AfCFTA must be seen and felt from this onset to be for the people of Africa. For our collective ownership and shared benefit, it must be owned by businesses in Africa,” Otchere-Darko said.
He said, “the aggregate value of enterprises and industries across Africa must be networked, coordinated and impactfully leveraged.
Mr Otchere-Darko added, “that is why, we of the Africa Prosperity Network, are pleased to have created this dedicated platform, the Africa Prosperity Dialogues, as an annual retreat where business leaders, thought leaders, trade associations, development organisations, young and women entrepreneurs, etc., will sit together, think together, plan together, and work together, with urgency, to intensify the efforts towards achieving the goals of AfCFTA.”
Meanwhile, the executive director of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), Dr Eugene Owusu, welcoming the participants said, “The game-changer [in the development of Africa] will be the speed and scope of AfCFTA. The next two days must not be a celebration but a call to action.”
“It is truly heartwarming to see this assembly of eminent business and policy leaders from across the continent come together around the AfCFTA and to do so with such enthusiasm and vitality.
He said, “The Africa Prosperity Dialogues series have been established as a convening platform for Africa political and business leaders to set and push initiatives to transform Africa with the overarching objectives of achieving prosperity across the continent through in particular enhanced economic cooperation, deeper trade and integration and accelerating impact investment.”
“There is no doubt that this maiden Africa Prosperity Dialogue is taking place against the backdrop of immersed challenges that confront our continent but also exciting opportunities that our continent has to transform itself,” Dr Owusu added.
The maiden series of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues kicked off on Thursday (26 January) and will end on Saturday (28 January).
The serial event, also dubbed the Kwahu Summit, involves captains of industry, entrepreneurs, economists, bankers and other business leaders in Africa taking part in three days of discussion about what needs to be done next to expand trade and wealth creation across the continent.
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues is a strategic platform where movers and shakers in the African economy will elevate the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) from ambition to real action.
The summit will be a focused event where African leaders from diverse areas of national endeavour will gather each year to discuss and share experiences on initiatives required for Africa to achieve the goal of shared prosperity and to review the Africa Agenda for Action.