Ethiopia’s Commitment to African Continental Free Trade Area Laud

Addis Ababa, July 24, 2025 (ENA) The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination and Program Secretariat Director, Tsotetsi Makong, has commended Ethiopia’s commitment to implementing the objective of the free trade area.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the director has emphasized the vital role the free trade area plays in enhancing intra-African trade and creating employment opportunities.

He noted that integrating sectors such as transport, trade, and services within the trade zone will generate substantial job opportunities for many people.

Ethiopia’s efforts and commitment towards achieving the goals and successes of the AfCFTA is commendable, Makong noted.

“Countries have shown strong commitment to the implementation of the free trade area, and we are closely observing the developments in Addis Ababa under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. These developmental changes have the potential to generate foreign currency for both Ethiopia and Africa.”

According to him, the AfCFTA will open up markets for trade and service sectors as well as employment opportunities.

Makong urged businessmen to prepare themselves to fully benefit from the opportunities presented by the free trade area.

“The agreement reached by African countries to foster tax-free trade relations will stimulate increased production. Now our traders and farmers have the chance to expand their output, and investors can scale up their businesses because the opportunities are vast. We are already seeing foreign companies starting operations in various parts of the continent.”

The director added that Ethiopian companies now have the opportunity to invest in other African countries within the AfCFTA’s legal framework, which will create job opportunities not only domestically but across the continent.

Highlighting the urgency of job creation, Makong pointed out that by 2050 the largest share of Africa’s population will be young people.

“In this regard, the AfCFTA must be implemented swiftly to fully harness its potential for job creation. By 2050, one-third of the youth globally will be in Africa, which means we need to develop sufficient job opportunities. Job creation requires production and services, and this production cannot be limited to domestic markets,” he explained.

If we fail to capitalize on the African Continental Free Trade Area, we will face a significant shortage of job-creating sectors by 2050, the director stated, noting that AfCFTA is designed to bridge this gap and create jobs by providing opportunities for countries and traders.

The African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat continues to coordinate efforts among member countries to facilitate the effective implementation of the agreement.