The President of the Africa CEO Club, Fatoumatta Gaye, has called on African investors and business leaders to deepen collaboration and build stronger intra-African partnerships that would accelerate the continent’s economic transformation under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.

In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, Gaye said true continental development would only be achieved when Africa’s public and private institutions work hand-in-hand to drive cross-border trade, industrial growth, and youth empowerment.

“We believe that true transformation happens when leadership meets collaboration, when vision meets structure, and when institutions, public and private, come together to move our continent forward,” she said.

Gaye, who described collaboration as the “new currency of development”, urged African business leaders to look beyond national borders and invest in partnerships that strengthen the regional economy.

According to her, alliances among African countries would create new pathways for entrepreneurs to thrive, empower women to lead with confidence, and open opportunities for youth to innovate across borders.

“Through these alliances, we are creating new pathways for entrepreneurs to thrive, for women to lead with confidence, and for youth to find opportunities beyond boundaries,” she added.

Despite being home to over 1.4 billion people, Africa continues to trade more with the rest of the world than with itself.

In recent years, intra-African exports have accounted for only about 16 per cent of the continent’s total exports, and intra-African trade (exports + imports) stands at around 15 per cent of Africa’s total trade, far below comparable regions such as Europe (68  per cent) and Asia (59 per cent).

Trade experts blame the low trade integration on structural barriers such as poor transport infrastructure, high tariffs, inconsistent customs regulations, and inadequate access to finance for small and medium enterprises.

Many African economies also rely heavily on exporting raw materials to global markets rather than trading finished goods within the continent.

But the resilience of regional trade is beginning to pay off. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s trade with other African countries grew by N610bn in the first half of 2025 to N4.82tn compared with N4.21tn recorded in the same period of 2024.

Gaye said the only way to deepen trade across Africa is through stronger collaboration among member states.

By rallying investors to think continentally, Gaye said, Africa could unlock unprecedented opportunities for job creation and shared prosperity.

“As we sign these Memorandums of Understanding today, let them serve as a declaration of unity, that across our borders and differences, we remain one Africa with one mission: to build, to innovate, and to empower,” she declared.

Gaye’s remarks resonated with the audience of government officials, diplomats, and business executives who attended the Abuja ceremony.

She concluded by urging African leaders to translate their AfCFTA commitments into tangible outcomes through active collaboration and private sector-driven growth.

“Africa’s future is not a dream, it is a plan,” she said. “And it starts with conversations like this, partnerships like these, and people like you.”

The statement also introduced the Africa CEO Club, which brings together chief executives, investors, and policymakers from across the continent, and announced two flagship initiatives.

These include The Africa Blueprint Summit, a high-level dialogue platform to redefine leadership, trade, and innovation for a new African economy, and Africa: Her Voice, Her Power, a women-focused initiative celebrating the influence, resilience, and economic leadership of African women.

“The Africa Blueprint Summit, a high-level dialogue platform to redefine leadership, trade, and innovation for a new African economy; and Africa: Her Voice, Her Power, a women-focused initiative celebrating the influence, resilience, and economic leadership of African women.”

Gaye said both programmes would serve as platforms for inclusion and economic transformation, rather than one-off events.

“These programmes are not events; they are platforms for transformation, inclusion, and real economic growth,” she noted.

She also expressed gratitude to institutions that have partnered with the Africa CEO Club to support its mission, including the Bank of Industry, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.