African leaders yesterday called for accelerated growth in intra-African trade as the continent’s premier trade and investment event, the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025), officially opened in Algiers with delegates from across Africa and the Caribbean in attendance.

The seven-day event, which brings together over 2,000 exhibitors and thousands of visitors from around the world, includes participation from Caribbean leaders and business executives. This Caribbean presence at Africa’s largest trade fair could unlock significant economic opportunities for Caribbean nations, including those from Antigua, seeking to diversify their trade partnerships and access new markets.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune challenged the countries to deepen economic ties by increasing trade flows to drive growth, create jobs, and shield the economies from effects of current global geopolitical events. The President stressed the need to enhance connectivity across the continent by addressing infrastructure gaps that will facilitate intra-African trade. He listed Algeria’s ongoing regional infrastructural projects including the Trans-Sahara Road linking Algiers to neighbouring countries, the Algeria Gas Pipe securing the region’s energy needs, and optic fibre for digital sovereignty, besides enhancing air and maritime links with neighbouring countries.

The fair is projected to facilitate trade and investment deals worth over $44 billion, according to organizers. For Caribbean nations, participation offers potential access to Africa’s growing intra-continental trade market.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chairman of the IATF2025 Advisory Council, noted that 48 African countries are participating in the exhibitions – the largest number since the fair’s founding in 2018.

“In the past editions spanning over eight years, IATF has demonstrated the power to connect buyers, sellers, investors, innovators, and governments from every corner of Africa and now global Africa. IATF has become the engine accelerating trade expansion and investment flows,” Obasanjo said.

He highlighted the $2.9 billion Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (Rufiji Dam) as one of IATF’s success stories, describing it as “one of Africa’s largest energy infrastructure undertakings.” The deal was “concluded at the 2018 Trade Fair in Cairo between Egyptian contractors and the Government of Tanzania and executed solely by African companies, becoming the largest Intra-African EPC deal in the continent.”

Since inception in 2018, IATF has brought together over 4,500 exhibitors, attracted more than 70,000 participants from across 130 countries, and facilitated trade and investment deals exceeding $118 billion.

AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene challenged leaders to accelerate implementation of AfCFTA to build resilience and safeguard the continent’s collective interests in light of current global uncertainties and shifting trade patterns.

“Intra-African trade rebounded strongly in 2024, reaching $220.3 billion, a 12.4% increase from 2023, according to Afreximbank’s African Trade Report 2025. This recovery underscores growing confidence in Africa’s integration model under the AfCFTA. The data shows a gradual shift in the continent’s trade composition. While primary commodities still dominate, there is a clear growth in machinery, motor vehicles, food products, chemicals, and electronics. This shift signals our continent’s transition from raw commodity dependency toward industrial diversification, a shift that will only be sustained by stronger logistics and manufacturing value chains,” Mene said.

African Union Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi noted that Africa contributes only 2.9% to global trade, and that while intra-African trade still represents a small fraction of the continent’s overall trade, it has been steadily increasing, expanding by 27% between 2017 and 2023.

“Our internal trade can be a powerful agent for industrialisation. Indeed, unlike our international trade, Intra-African trade is mainly driven by manufactured products. While Africa’s exports outside the continent only constitute 20% of manufactured goods, 45% of trade between African countries comprises manufactured goods. Despite its potential, Intra-African trade still represents a mere 15% of total African trade. This imbalance is not only the result of an unfair international trade regime. It is also the result of choices we have made, and therefore choices we have the power to change. Intra-African trade is and should be our point of focus,” Haddadi said.

African Export-Import Bank President and Chairman Benedict Oramah noted that since 2018, IATF has proven to be a solid platform for launching winning ideas and initiatives, forging continental and global partnerships, unlocking critical funding, and visualising unprecedented market opportunities.

“IATF is proving to be a formidable platform for the new struggle for economic independence of all Africans, regardless of colour, creed, location, gender, or status. We believe that we have built a platform and supporting ecosystem where young Africans who may change the way the world reads, lives, interrelates, does business, and manages their health will one day emerge. The proof is in what we have seen emerge from this platform since 2018. IATF2025 marks a significant milestone in our journey towards attaining Africa’s economic emancipation, through intra-regional trade and investment,” Oramah said.

The IATF2025 programme includes the Global Africa Diaspora Day celebrating the continent’s ties with its diaspora, the Algeria Investment Forum, Arise Industrialisation Day, Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX), the Africa Automotive Show, the Dangote Pavilion and Dangote Special Day, and the AU Youth Start-Up platform.

The event features “some of the most influential voices shaping the future of Africa and the Caribbean, together with many others from across government, business, innovation, energy, and agriculture” who will “shape conversations that advance Africa and the Caribbean’s shared future.”

IATF2025’s official opening ceremony in Algiers, Algeria (photo by BrandComms)

For Caribbean economies seeking to reduce dependence on traditional markets and expand trade relationships, IATF2025 represents a significant opportunity to engage with one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions and explore partnerships that could benefit both African and Caribbean development goals.

The event, hosted by Algeria and co-convened by the African Export-Import Bank, African Union Commission, and AfCFTA Secretariat, continues through the next few days.