The 2026 Africa Trade Summit officially opened on Wednesday at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, bringing together Heads of State, ministers, development finance leaders, and private sector executives to advance Africa’s industrial and trade transformation.

Organised by the African Trade Chamber, the two-day summit is focused on financing Africa’s industrialisation through value chain development, beneficiation, and deeper market integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

AmCham Ghana participated in the summit with a delegation led by its Chief Executive Officer, Doris Afanyedey, underscoring the Chamber’s commitment to promoting private sector engagement, trade facilitation, and industrial development across Africa.

Opening the summit, President John Dramani Mahama underscored the urgency for Africa to move beyond raw material exports toward manufacturing and value addition. He noted that while Africa is rich in natural resources, it continues to capture only a fraction of global industrial value, a situation that must change if the continent is to create jobs and retain wealth.

The Executive Chair of the African Trade Chamber, Benedicta Lasi, emphasised that Africa’s challenge is no longer about vision but execution, highlighting the need for coordinated industrial policies, reliable energy, efficient infrastructure, and long-term capital to support private sector investment.

Special addresses from UNIDO and Ghana’s Ministry of Trade reinforced the message that AfCFTA is not just a trade agreement but an industrial framework that rewards preparation, competitiveness, and regional integration.

Discussions throughout Day One highlighted the critical role of the private sector, development finance institutions, and regional cooperation in translating policy commitments into measurable industrial outcomes.

As part of Day One proceedings, a Ministerial Dialogue on Industrial Policy, Local Content and Value Creation was held under the theme “Accelerating Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Converting Extraction into Value and Building Industrial Champions.” The session was moderated by Simon Madjie, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).

Panelists included H.E. Fatou Haidara, Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Hon. Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Minister of International Relations and Trade of the Republic of Namibia; and Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry.

The ministers emphasised the importance of robust industrial policy, effective local content frameworks, and regional value chains in transforming Africa’s extractive sectors into engines of value creation, employment, and competitiveness.

The summit continues today with ministerial dialogues, infrastructure and connectivity plenaries, and private sector engagement sessions aimed at advancing implementation.