Speaking at the opening of the 4th edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), hosted in Algeria from 4–10 September, President Tebboune warned that Africa risked being one of the greatest casualties of today’s shifting world order.
He stressed that the continent’s voice was being marginalized in debates about reshaping international systems.
The Algerian president outlined structural imbalances that continue to undermine Africa’s role on the global stage: African countries hold just 6.5% of voting rights in the International Monetary Fund and 11% in the World Bank; the continent’s share of global trade remains at only 3%, despite possessing 30% of the world’s natural resources and a population of 1.5 billion; foreign direct investment is limited to \$94 billion annually—just 6% of global totals; and intra-African trade accounts for only 15% of the continent’s trade, compared to 60% in Europe.
He also pointed to the continent’s annual infrastructure gap of \$90 billion, which translates into a 2% GDP loss each year.
Despite these challenges, Tebboune underlined Algeria’s commitment to advancing integration. He cited major initiatives, including a trans-Sahel highway, the Algeria–Nigeria gas pipeline, fiber optic projects to boost digital sovereignty, expanded air and sea routes with African partners, and the opening of Algerian bank branches and trade offices in Sahel countries. Algeria also provides 8,000 scholarships annually to African students.
Tebboune concluded by urging African leaders to redouble their efforts to transform the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into a genuine driver of development.
Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), echoed these calls, noting that intra-African trade and investment are essential for Africa’s economic emancipation. “The Intra-African Trade Fair 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,” he said.
The fair showcased transformative projects, including Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere Dam, financed by Afreximbank and implemented by Egyptian contractors, which enabled the country to achieve energy self-sufficiency and spur industrial growth.
Other headline agreements included a \$450 million Global Credit Facility between Afreximbank and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, and a €12 million project for Mauritania’s SAMAPECHE to build a fish processing plant and expand storage capacity.
The event also provided space for young innovators. Nigerian entrepreneur Ndubisi Arinze Eze attracted Singaporean investment for his drone technology, which is revolutionizing global agriculture.
As the fair closed, Prof. Oramah announced Harare, Zimbabwe, as the new headquarters for an independent IATF entity, with Afreximbank approving \$28 million in initial capitalisation. “We have built a solid platform that can stand the test of time,” he said.
“It is time to institutionalise this initiative and ease the burden on Afreximbank and its partners.”
Ewamekele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, highlighted that the free trade area is already yielding results.
Intra-African trade rose to \$220.3 billion in 2024, a 12.4% increase from 2023. He stressed the need to strengthen logistics and manufacturing value chains, expand trade corridors and digital infrastructure, and mobilize resources—including diaspora remittances—to safeguard Africa’s collective interests.
The Intra-African Trade Fair has become a catalyst for economic empowerment, offering a platform where governments, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators translate policy into practice, forge partnerships, and build the foundations of Africa’s economic future.
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