Africa has a major opportunity to accelerate intra-African trade, attract investment and drive industrialisation by strengthening the systems that connect businesses across borders, according to African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Executive Vice-President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Kanayo Awani.
Intra-African trade increased by 5.4% in 2024 to US$206.6 billion, according to Afreximbank’s Africa in Figures 2025 report. The continued implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is expected to provide further momentum, but businesses still face significant barriers, including limited market intelligence, unclear regulations and restricted access to trade finance.
Awani said addressing these gaps will be essential if African economies are to move beyond trading raw materials and instead develop stronger regional value chains, processing industries and value-added exports.
The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) has emerged as one of the continent’s key platforms for addressing these challenges. The fourth edition, IATF2025 in Algiers, generated US$50 billion in trade and investment deals, demonstrating the growing appetite among African businesses and investors for cross-border opportunities.
Since its launch, IATF has attracted more than 180,000 participants and 6,600 exhibitors from 132 countries, generating more than US$167 billion in cumulative trade and investment deals. According to an Afreximbank impact assessment, 62.4% of concluded deals directly supported intra-African trade, while nearly 360,000 SMEs have benefited from the platform.
The next major milestone will be IATF2027, which will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, from 5–11 November 2027 under the theme “Global Africa, Smart Trade: From Market Access to Market Power.” The event is targeting more than US$50 billion in trade and investment deals, 100,000 visitors and over 2,500 exhibitors.
Awani said digital platforms such as IATF Virtual could further reduce the cost and logistical barriers faced by smaller businesses by allowing companies, investors and governments to maintain relationships and follow up on opportunities throughout the year.
Nigeria’s hosting of IATF2027 comes as the country seeks to strengthen its role in Africa’s industrial and trade transformation. Its large domestic market, agricultural production and resources including oil, gas, lithium, iron ore and gold provide opportunities to develop regional supply chains and increase value addition.
Progress is already being supported through export-readiness programmes, certification assistance and capacity-building initiatives for SMEs. Investments in infrastructure such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port, logistics corridors and industrial clusters could further improve Nigeria’s ability to connect domestic producers with regional and global markets.
The broader challenge for Africa is therefore not simply generating more demand, but creating efficient pathways that allow businesses to identify opportunities, access finance, meet regulatory requirements and establish reliable cross-border partnerships. Strengthening these systems will be critical to converting AfCFTA’s potential into sustained growth in intra-African trade, industrialisation and employment.