By Benjamin Adamafio Commey
Accra, July 21, GNA –The Africa Future Leaders Institute of Global Affairs (AFLIGA) has launched the second edition of its Thought Leadership Series to advance discussions on implementing Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The series will provide a platform for policymakers, financial institutions, academics, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) operators and development experts to examine Africa’s progress towards achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and identify practical strategies for translating policy aspirations into tangible outcomes.
The event, to be held in both physical and virtual formats, will focus on governance, security, trade, SME financing and economic development, with particular emphasis on financing opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade.
Speaking at the launch in Accra, Dr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, Executive Director of AFLIGA, said the primary objective of the second edition was to create an inclusive platform to critically discuss Africa’s governance, security and development frameworks within the context of Agenda 2063 while fostering practical, solution-oriented dialogue on the continent’s development agenda.
He said the series would also promote constructive discussions on the feasibility of achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and examine the conditions required to realise the African Union’s long-term vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena.”
He noted that although Agenda 2063, adopted in 2013, provided a comprehensive framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development, progress over the past decade had been uneven, with governance, security and economic challenges slowing implementation across many African countries.
He said recent governance assessments indicated that while some progress had been made in human and economic development, gains had been offset by declining security, democratic participation, electoral instability and unconstitutional changes of government in parts of the continent.
He observed that persistent insecurity in the Sahel, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and increasing geopolitical competition involving external partners continued to affect governance and economic activity.
Dr Dei-Tumi also highlighted growing socio-economic pressures, including high youth unemployment, skills mismatches and limited integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence into education and labour markets, as significant obstacles to Africa’s development aspirations.
He said Africa’s youthful population represented a major opportunity for economic transformation but warned that inadequate investment in skills development, employment and innovation could undermine the continent’s demographic advantage.
The Executive Director said the series would further examine the implementation of the AfCFTA, regarded as one of Agenda 2063’s flagship initiatives for promoting intra-African trade and economic integration.
Despite the establishment of the continental free trade area in 2019, intra-African trade remains below 20 per cent, constrained by infrastructure deficits, non-tariff barriers and weak policy coordination, he noted.
Dr Dei-Tumi identified access to finance as one of the most significant barriers preventing SMEs, particularly those owned by women and young entrepreneurs, from participating effectively in intra-African trade.
He said many SMEs continued to face limited access to formal financial services due to inadequate collateral, informality and financing constraints, limiting their ability to expand and benefit from opportunities created under the AfCFTA.
He said that the event would therefore explore innovative financing models, trade facilitation mechanisms and inclusive financial products that can strengthen the capacity of SMEs while improving collaboration among commercial banks, development finance institutions and financial technology companies.
The 2026 edition of the Thought Leadership Series will play host to some of the continent’s high-profile policy experts such as Mr. Mamadou Biteye, the Executive Secretary of the Africa Capacity building Foundation (ACBF), Madam Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, the African Union Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM) and Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Liberia.
Dr Dei-Tumi expressed the hope that deliberations would generate practical recommendations to strengthen governance systems, improve security, enhance trade policy implementation and develop more inclusive financial ecosystems capable of accelerating Africa’s economic transformation under Agenda 2063.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey