By The IP
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)
President William Ruto on Thursday called on African nations to deepen economic integration and expand intra-African trade.
Ruto said that the continent must work together to increase trade among member states from the current 14% to at least 50%.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the 24th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government in Nairobi, Ruto said unlocking trade among Africa’s 1.4 billion people could triple demand for goods, products, and services made on the continent.
“To achieve this, we must remove visa restrictions that block the free movement of people, ideas, and talent,” Ruto said.
“We must also dismantle tariff and non-tariff barriers that have turned our borders into obstacles instead of bridges.”
The president urged African countries to stop exporting raw materials and instead invest in local value addition, saying this shift would create jobs and retain wealth within the continent.
“We must stop exporting raw materials and instead add value here at home. This will create jobs, build and keep wealth in Africa,” Ruto said.
The summit, which brought together heads of state and government from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), focused on strengthening regional cooperation and accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
