By Francis Ntow, GNA Special Correspondent, Bangkok
Bangkok, Oct. 15, GNA – Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is gaining momentum as countries invest in cross-border road and rail infrastructure to facilitate trade and drive economic integration.
Mr Ismail Nabi, Guinea’s Minister of Planning, International Cooperation and Development, said projects supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) were improving connectivity between countries, translating the continental trade initiative into practical action.
“Most of the countries have adopted [the AfCFTA]. Now, we are in the implementation phase. Governments are much committed to making it a reality, but it is a work in progress,” he told the Ghana News Agency.
Mr Nabi was speaking on the sidelines of the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, at the “Africa Transforming Africa: From Ambition to Action” forum.
He cited road projects linking Guinea with Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone, noting that the journey from Conakry to Freetown now took about six hours by road.
He also highlighted Guinea’s Simandou project, which includes a 650-kilometre railway linking the mineral-rich south to Conakry, with potential connections to Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The corridor, supported by the World Bank, was expected to stimulate the development of new cities and production hubs, extending its benefits beyond transportation and helping to turn AfCFTA commitments into tangible economic gains.
Mr Nabi, who is also Chair of the Board of Governors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), said Africa could accelerate its development by adopting the long-term planning and discipline that had underpinned economic growth in Southeast Asia.
“In these Southeast Asian countries, discipline was key. They had a plan, respected it and looked for resources to implement it. That helped them become what they are today. We can do the same thing in Africa,” he said.
Guinea had developed a 15-year economic development blueprint, Simandou 2040, covering agriculture; education and culture; infrastructure, transportation and technology; finance, the economy and insurance; and healthcare and wellbeing, Mr Nabi said.
The plan was anchored in good governance, the rule of law and justice, which he said were essential to attracting investment, developing key sectors and improving people’s lives.
On artificial intelligence (AI), he urged African countries to adopt the technology strategically to accelerate development while investing in education and nurturing critical thinking among children.
Mr Nabi said although implementing the AfCFTA remained challenging, governments across the continent were committed to making the initiative work.
“AfCFTA is a work in progress. It is not easy, but all African governments are very eager to make sure that this happens on our continent,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Picture attached
15 Oct. 2026
Reporter: Francis Ntow
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