African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat

Organization hosting the continental trade body; Ghana leverages it to advance intra-African trade and attract investment.

2026-05-052026-09-15

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

May 2026
22 MayJoy Online
… She also highlighted the country’s role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, which provides businesses with access to a continental market of more than 1.4 billion people. …
Ghana is safe and ready for investment – Trade Minister courts Chinese investors
18 MayJoy Online
… The presence of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat in Accra gives us a historic opportunity to become a regional trade and industrial hub. …
Preventing the 18th: Ghana’s post-IMF moment is the real test of strength
12 MayBusiness & Financial Times
On the sidelines of the Africa Investment and Trade Forum (AFIC12) in Algiers, Mr Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, met with Noureddine Ouadah, Minister of knowledge Economy, Start-Ups and Micro-enterprises of Algeria to discu …
AfCFTA Secretariat, Algeria strengthen partnership to support African start-ups and SMEs
5 MayBusiness & Financial Times
… He further emphasised that strengthening local assembly will enhance Ghana’s ability to leverage opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat by promoting component manufacturing and boosting intra-African trade. …
Local auto assembly sector at risk, 400-plus skilled jobs threatened

World & Region

Ghana diversifies diplomatic ties amid global power competition

The News

Ghana is engaging multiple foreign powers—Russia, the US, China, the EU, and the UK—in negotiations over trade, investment, energy, defence, and mineral exploration, reflecting a strategy of diplomatic diversification rather than alignment with a single partner. The article examines how Ghana uses its resources and strategic position to bargain with competing powers while managing the risk of shifting dependence rather than achieving genuine autonomy.

1 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 1 September

Ghana diversifies diplomatic ties amid global power competition
Ghana is engaging multiple foreign powers—Russia, the US, China, the EU, and the UK—in negotiations over trade, investment, energy, defence, and mineral exploration, reflecting a strategy of diplomatic diversification rather than alignment with a single partner. The article examines how Ghana uses its resources and strategic position to bargain with competing powers while managing the risk of shifting dependence rather than achieving genuine autonomy.
1 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 28 July

Mahama calls for deeper Ghana-Gabon economic cooperation
President John Dramani Mahama held bilateral talks with Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema at the Jubilee House, calling for stronger economic cooperation between the two countries focused on trade, investment, industrialisation, and private-sector partnerships. Mahama said Ghana's hosting of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat positions it to advance intra-African trade and economic integration.
28 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Sunday 26 July

Vice President urges African city partnerships for economic development
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang called for stronger city-to-city partnerships across Africa to promote sustainable economic development, trade, and innovation, speaking at the 70th anniversary celebration of Sister Cities International in Washington, DC. She said Ghana is committed to decentralisation and leveraging its role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat to support collaboration among African cities.
26 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Thursday 23 July

Ghana and Morocco sign 11 bilateral cooperation agreements
Ghana and Morocco have signed 11 cooperation agreements covering aviation, trade, education, mining, sports and scientific research to strengthen bilateral relations. The agreements were signed during the Second Session of the Ghana-Morocco Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation in Accra.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 11 June

Korle Klottey internally generated revenue surges to 40 million cedis
The Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly increased its internally generated revenue from GH¢14.7 million in 2023 to GH¢40 million in 2025, driven by reforms in revenue mobilisation including digitalisation of property rate collection and business permits. The municipality is positioning itself as an investment hub and using the increased revenue to fund major infrastructure projects including market redevelopment and sanitation services.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 9 June

Ghana's new LGBT Bill raises economic competitiveness concerns globally
Ghana's Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill on 29 May 2026, which retains penalties for same-sex relations and introduces sanctions against the promotion of LGBT activities. An investment banker argues that diversity and inclusion have become economic issues in a global talent economy, positioning Ghana's legislative stance as a matter of economic strategy rather than solely social policy.
9 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →
Togo announces visa-free policy for all African nationals
Togo announced it will grant visa-free entry to all African nationals holding valid African passports, effective immediately, allowing citizens of African Union member states to stay for up to 30 days. The announcement was made at the conclusion of Biashara Afrika 2026, a continental business forum held in Lomé from May 18–20, and was hailed as a demonstration of the spirit of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
9 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Wednesday 3 June

Two Ghanaians petition GFA to remove CAF President Motsepe
A political activist and lawyer have petitioned the Ghana Football Association to lead efforts reviewing whether CAF President Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe should remain in office, citing a conflict between CAF's message of African unity and recurring xenophobic violence against foreign Africans in South Africa.
3 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Monday 1 June

GFA petitioned to review CAF President over South Africa xenophobia
Political activist Solomon Owusu and lawyer Andrew Appiah-Danquah have petitioned the Ghana Football Association to initiate a continental review of CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe's suitability, citing concerns about the contradiction between CAF's commitment to African unity and its leadership's association with South Africa, which they characterize as linked to recurring xenophobic hostility toward Africans.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Activists petition for AfCFTA secretary-general removal over South Africa xenophobia
Political activist Solomon Owusu and lawyer Andrew Appiah-Danquah have filed a petition with the African Union seeking the removal of Wamkele Keabetswe Mene as Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, citing recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa and arguing that the nation's leadership of the trade body is inconsistent with African unity and integration goals.
1 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Friday 22 May

Trade Minister courts Chinese investors at Ghana-China forum
Ghana's Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare has intensified efforts to attract Chinese investment, describing Ghana as a strategic and profitable destination with a stable political environment, improving business climate, and strategic access to African markets through its role as host of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.
22 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 18 May

Ghana's 17th IMF programme raises questions about structural failures
An opinion piece examines Ghana's recurrent IMF interventions—the 17th since independence—questioning why a country with significant natural resources and human capital repeatedly faces economic crises requiring external rescue.
18 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 12 May

AfCFTA and Algeria partner to support African start-ups, SMEs
The African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat and Algeria's Minister of knowledge Economy discussed strengthening collaboration to support Africa's start-up and SME ecosystem. The talks centered on the upcoming Africa Start-up Conference scheduled for December 5–7, 2026 in Algiers, which will bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and policymakers to explore opportunities for scaling African enterprises under the AfCFTA.
12 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Tuesday 5 May

Auto assembly sector risks collapse from VAT exemption removal
The Automobile Assemblers Association of Ghana warns that removal of a 20 percent VAT exemption on locally assembled vehicles in the 2026 budget threatens the viability of the sector and risks eliminating 400-plus skilled jobs. The association's president, who is also CEO of Volkswagen Ghana, called for immediate policy intervention to sustain the sector's gains over the last five years.
5 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →