The African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) has stated that recent escalating global trade tensions must serve as a definitive catalyst for Africa to realize its own continental market.
In a press release, copied to the Ghana News Agency, the Chamber urged African heads of state to dramatically accelerate the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to build economic self-reliance and shield the continent from external disruptions.
“The sight of major powers weaponizing trade routes and logistics is a stark wake-up call for our continent,” said Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, President of the ACCP.
“Africa’s continued heavy reliance on goods and services from other regions leaves us profoundly vulnerable to crises not of our making. The time for cautious deliberation is over; the time for decisive action to build and trade within our own borders is now.”
The Chamber’s statement said despite the landmark AfCFTA agreement, practical barriers continued to stifle progress.
“A core issue remains low awareness and utilization among the very businesses meant to benefit. For 11 major African economies, intra-African trade accounted for just 11.8% of their total trade in 2023, a share that has declined since the agreement came into force. The ACCP insists the African Union must launch a robust, continent-wide advocacy campaign to demystify the AfCFTA’s rules and opportunities for entrepreneurs and corporations alike”.
The Chamber’s call is amplified by mounting frustration from the continent’s private sector, which faced the daily reality of the implementation gap.
“The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has issued a stark warning that perfectly underscores the ACCP’s position: Ghanaian businesses cannot afford to wait indefinitely for the full benefits of the AfCFTA to materialize”.
Speaking after the AGI’s national council retreat in Accra on February 13, 2026, AGI President, Kofi Nsiah-Poku, articulated the growing impatience among exporters. “We cannot wait forever; our products are ready, and with direct collaboration between governments, we can begin exporting immediately rather than being delayed by prolonged formalities,” he stated
He highlighted the paradox where exporting to Europe or Asia was sometimes more predictable than trading with neighboring countries like Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, due to excessive paperwork, inconsistent border procedures, and logistical bottlenecks that discourage formal trade.
According to the ACCP, their past engagements with AfCfTA had shown that persistent structural hurdles were in the way of the AfCFTA.
“Full domestic implementation of AfCFTA rules is operational in fewer than ten countries, creating a patchwork of regulations. Furthermore, African businesses face a crippling trade finance gap, estimated between $81 and $120 billion annually, which severely limits their capacity to engage in cross-border commerce. Compounding these issues is the continent’s stark infrastructure deficit, where poor transport links make shipping goods between African nations notoriously costly and inefficient”.
Moving beyond critique, the ACCP laid out a comprehensive blueprint for achieving true integration.
First, it called for a continental “Build It Here” initiative, uniting African and African-Diaspora engineers, contractors, experts, and businesses to plan continent-wide rail linkages and establish advanced engineering centers.
The vision includes ambitious projects like the local manufacturing of cargo planes, ships, trains and busses, building on existing aerospace developments such as the Skyleader 600 aircraft now being produced in Tanzania, and the Kiira Coaches and busses being produced in Uganda. Parallel investment in modernizing port and airport cargo handling is seen as non-negotiable for boosting trade.
Also, to overcome currency and payment barriers, the ACCP strongly advocated the accelerated adoption of a unified African digital currency.
This push aligned with the continent’s rapid adoption of digital assets, largely driven by the need for cheaper cross-border payments.
The Chamber cautioned that current reliance on foreign currency systems risked ceding monetary sovereignty.
While praising the existing Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) as a critical intervention, the ACCP stressed that widespread educational initiatives were essential for traders to understand and trust these new platforms.
Finally, the ACCP emphasized that sustainable trade is built on a foundation of trust and shared identity.
They encouraged the AU and national governments to pioneer more cultural and professional exchange programmes that foster direct interaction and collaboration among African nations.
“We need more projects that get Africans talking to each other, creating together, and seeing their future as a shared one,” Nana Dwomoh-Doyen stated.
Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin revealed that this philosophy directly inspired the Chamber’s co-founding of the Africa Monologue Challenge (AMC) with MK Casting and the National Film Authority of Ghana (NFA).
“Giving a single, powerful voice, a monologue to Africa is our contribution to building the cultural understanding that must underpin economic integration,” he explained.
The initiative, which has formed a strategic partnership with the Africa Prosperity Network, aims to advance the continent’s creative economy in promoting African storytelling and brands. The APN is also the Associate Producer with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) serving as Executive Producers in producing the initiative’s first Pan African feature film in Uganda.
Ambassador David Adofo, Head of Research and Development at the African Chamber of Content Producers, reiterated the need for African heads of state to invest in research and human capital development. He noted that external shocks, including sanctions between superpowers and disruptions in global trade routes, would have limited impact on Africa if the continent builds a capable population with the skills and resources to develop its own solutions and products.
“Imagine cocoa from Ghana and Ivory Coast combined with milk from Uganda, and machinery from Ethiopia to produce chocolate that is one hundred percent African in origin,” he said.
Ambassador Nana Nketia, a board member of the ACCP and an advocate of African herbal medicine, highlighted how the herbal trade alone has the potential to significantly boost Africa’s economy.
He shared his team’s surprise during their visit to Uganda, where they observed the work of Quality Chemicals Industrial Limited (QCIL), a wholly African-owned pharmaceutical company producing essential medicines, including ARV drugs for HIV patients. He emphasized that the experience strengthened their confidence in Africa’s ability to achieve anything it sets its mind to.
The ACCP concluded that achieving “local content sovereignty” in goods, services, and narrative is an urgent strategic imperative for Africa’s economic security and dignified place in the world.
The ACCP is a pan-African institution dedicated to promoting local content sovereignty across all sectors. Through advocacy, certification, and flagship programs, it empowers African creators and businesses to build a self-reliant, culturally vibrant, and economically integrated continent.
