President William Ruto has urged African nations to unite in boosting intra-African trade, saying the continent must dismantle barriers that stifle economic integration and wealth creation.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 24th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit held in Nairobi, Ruto also officially accepted the chairmanship of the regional bloc, pledging to lead efforts that promote deeper trade and industrial growth across member states.
Ruto noted that intra-African trade currently stands at only 14%, far below the levels seen in other regions such as Europe and Asia, where internal trade ranges between 60% and 70%. He challenged African leaders to work toward raising the figure to at least 50%.
“We call on Africa to work together to increase intra-African trade from the current 14% to 50%, matching other regions that trade at between 60% and 70%. Unlocking trade for the 1.4 billion Africans would triple demand for our goods, products, and services," Ruto said.
The President emphasized that to achieve this, African countries must remove visa restrictions that limit the free movement of people, ideas, and talent.
He further called for the dismantling of tariff and non-tariff barriers that have turned borders into obstacles rather than avenues of cooperation.
Ruto also underscored the importance of ending the export of raw materials and prioritizing local value addition.
He said this approach would create jobs, expand industries, and help keep wealth within the continent.
“As we add value to what we produce, we will build stronger economies and provide opportunities for our youth. This is how Africa will rise," Ruto stated.
Ruto succeeds Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye as the new COMESA chair.
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