The third edition of Biashara Afrika opened on May 18, 2026, at the Palais des Congres in Lome, Togo, and ran until May 20. Organised by the government of the Togolese Republic and the AfCFTA Secretariat, the forum gathered African heads of state, ministers, policymakers, SMEs, investors and entrepreneurs to advance the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement. The summit's theme was "Powering Africa's Economic Transformation through the AfCFTA." It marked a shift from policy discussions to actionable trade measures, focusing on the movement of goods, services and people across borders. As of 2025, 54 African Union member states have signed the AfCFTA agreement, with 50 having ratified it. The agreement includes protocols on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Dispute Settlement, Competition Policy, Intellectual Property Rights, Investment, Digital Trade, and Women & Youth in Trade.
Tony Elumelu, chairman of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, reiterated his Africapitalism philosophy, which positions African entrepreneurs and private investors as key drivers of continental development. Since 2015, his foundation has invested over $100 million to train, mentor and fund young African entrepreneurs. By the 2024 cohort, more than 18,000 entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries had been selected. Each received $5,000 in seed capital, business training and mentorship. Collectively, they have created over 400,000 jobs and generated more than $1.5 billion in revenue.
At the forum, Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, highlighted delays and visa restrictions hindering African business mobility. Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe responded by directing relevant authorities to resolve the visa issues raised. The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), managed by Afreximbank, was noted as a key tool enabling cross-border transactions in local currencies. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, stated, "AfCFTA is no longer an aspiration; it is a functioning instrument of integration, powered by institutions, backed by political will, and increasingly owned by the private sector."
Nigeria's trade minister complained about visa barriers slowing AfCFTA progress, yet Nigerian entrepreneurs funded by Tony Elumelu have already built businesses across 54 countries without waiting for policy fixes. The private sector is moving faster than the institutions meant to support it. When ministers still debate protocols, it is grassroots entrepreneurs who are quietly building the single African market. The real engine of integration is not in the halls of government but in the hands of those already trading.
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