Vice President, H.E. Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger efforts to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women, and young people to fully participate in Africa’s single market, describing them as central to the continent’s economic transformation.

Speaking at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues(APD) in Accra on February 4, 2026, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said Africa’s future prosperity depends on moving from dependency to self-reliance and from fragmented economies to an integrated continental market. She delivered the address on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, who was unable to attend due to official duties outside the country.

She noted that advocacy platforms such as the Africa Prosperity Dialogues play a complementary role to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is headquartered in Accra, by promoting intra-African trade, investment, and mobility.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang reiterated President Mahama’s recent remarks at the United Nations that Africa would shape its own future, stressing that development which excludes young people, women, and small enterprises is unsustainable.

She explained that this principle underpins the government’s 'Reset Agenda', aimed at transforming Africa’s economies through integration, domestic value creation, and shared prosperity.

Highlighting Ghana’s long-standing Pan-African engagement, she referenced initiatives such as the Pan-African Festival of Arts and Culture, the Year of Return, and the Diaspora Summit, which she said reflect Ghana’s commitment to bridging historical and economic divides.

She also cited renewed commitments to cooperation at the Second AU–CARICOM Summit held in Addis Ababa last year.

The Vice President described the AfCFTA as a historic opportunity, noting that it represents the world’s largest free trade area by number of participating countries, with a combined market of about 1.3 billion people.

She emphasised that SMEs, which generate an estimated 80 per cent of employment across Africa, are key to unlocking this potential.

She also highlighted the significant role of women and youth in Africa’s economies, pointing out that women make up nearly half of the continent’s workforce, while young people account for more than 60 per cent of the population and are driving innovation in sectors such as technology and the creative industries.

However, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang observed that fewer than 20 per cent of African SMEs currently engage in export trade, while women and young entrepreneurs continue to face barriers, including limited access to finance, mobility, skills, and markets.

She warned that without decisive action, many African economies risk remaining trapped in low-productivity models centred on raw material exports.

She said the theme of this year’s dialogue, “Empowering SMEs, Women, and Youth in Africa’s Single Market,” reflects the urgency of addressing these challenges.

According to her, sustained coordination, investment in infrastructure and connectivity, industrial strategies, innovation, and strong institutions are required to translate Africa’s potential into lasting economic transformation.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang outlined Ghana’s contributions to this agenda, including the 24-Hour Economy initiative, which she said is designed to boost productivity by improving coordination among infrastructure, finance, and institutions.

She also cited the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, aimed at supporting trade, industrial growth, and regional integration within ECOWAS and the African Union.

She concluded by urging African leaders to view borders not as barriers, but as tools to organise sovereignty in support of shared prosperity, and called on participants to ensure that commitments made at the dialogue translate into concrete outcomes.