The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna, issued a clarion call for urgent, collaborative action to dismantle the structural bottlenecks that continue to impede commerce across the continent.

Addressing an assembly of policymakers, financiers, and business leaders, Mr Ogbonna emphasised that while Africa possesses immense market potential, its actual participation in global trade remains constrained by fragmented corridors and systemic inefficiencies.

“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 stated during his opening remarks.

The conference, themed ‘Turning Vision into Velocity: Building Africa’s Trade Ecosystem for Real-World Impact’, serves as a critical follow-up to the inaugural 2025 gathering. Ogbonna highlighted that the mission is no longer about identifying problems but about executing solutions. He noted encouraging progress in emerging value chains across agriculture, manufacturing, and services, alongside the rise of digital platforms that are increasingly reducing friction in payments and logistics.

However, he warned that these gains are currently uneven, necessitating a more unified approach. “We have seen value chains emerging across agriculture, manufacturing and services, and we are seeing African brands crossing borders and building a global presence,” Ogbonna added.

Echoing the need for a more integrated approach, the Director-General for Southern Africa at the African Development Bank, Kennedy Mbekeani, underscored the vital role of infrastructure in realising the continent’s economic objectives. He urged a strategic pivot toward mobilising private capital to bridge the substantial funding gap required for large-scale infrastructure projects.

“The mobilisation of private capital remains crucial as many African governments are constrained by limited fiscal space and overstretched balance sheets,” Mbekeani stated. He further emphasised that while regulatory harmony is essential, it must be supported by physical and digital connectivity to ensure the benefits of regional integration are realised by all member nations.

The consensus from the conference suggests that if Africa can successfully shift from a collection of fragmented economies to a connected, land-linked trade bloc, it could significantly increase intra-continental trade and bolster its influence on the global stage.