Libreville, 9 September 2026 (ECA) – As the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opens new prospects for intra-African trade, investment, and regional value chain integration, the ability of countries to translate these opportunities into tangible economic gains largely depends on the quality of their national implementation strategies. For Gabon, the challenge is to make the AfCFTA a driver of productive and trade capacity development, economic diversification, inclusive industrialization, and job creation, within a context marked by the ambition to strengthen private sector competitiveness and increase local value addition.
To advance this process, the Gabonese Government, through the Ministry of Trade and with the technical support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), is convening key national stakeholders in Libreville on 10 and 11 September 2026 for the National Validation Workshop of the Revised National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy. The meeting brings together nearly 60 participants from public administrations, technical institutions, the private sector, professional organizations, universities and research centres, civil society, as well as technical and financial partners. Its objective is to review, enrich and validate the strategic document prepared following an extensive national consultation process coordinated by the Ministry of Trade, with technical support from ECA, which assisted in the analysis, revision and updating of the national AfCFTA implementation strategy.
The challenge is both economic and institutional. While the AfCFTA offers new opportunities to access a continental market of more than one billion consumers, translating these opportunities into concrete outcomes requires sustained improvements in the business environment, enterprise competitiveness, trade-support infrastructure, and trade policy governance mechanisms. It also requires the identification of priority sectors capable of generating greater value addition and enabling the country to integrate more effectively into African value chains.
"The updating of the National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy reflects the commitment of the Gabonese Government to use trade as a lever for economic diversification, local value addition and job creation. It is aligned with the National Growth and Development Plan and seeks to enable Gabon to fully capitalize on the opportunities offered by the African continental market while strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of its economy," said Zenaba Gninga Chaning, Minister of Trade, SMEs and Youth Entrepreneurship.
Over the course of two days, participants will review the consolidated results of the national consultations and the recommendations put forward by the various strategic working groups. Discussions will focus on the orientations of the new strategy, priority value chains, strategic sectors and markets, reforms to enhance competitiveness and the business environment, trade and logistics support infrastructure, and the institutional mechanisms required for effective implementation.
The workshop will also provide an opportunity to finalize the priority action plan, validate the monitoring and evaluation framework, and identify strategic projects that will support Gabon's integration into the African continental market.
"The success of the AfCFTA depends on countries' ability to align trade reforms with industrial policies, supporting infrastructure and the needs of the private sector. Gabon has significant assets, including its natural resources, industrial potential and strategic position in Central Africa. The validation of this strategy represents a critical step towards transforming these assets into concrete opportunities for investment, production and exports," explained Adama Ekberg Coulibaly, Chief of the Subregional Initiatives Section at the ECA Subregional Office for Central Africa.
At the end of the workshop, stakeholders are expected to validate the main orientations of the new National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy, confirm priority value chains and target markets, approve investment priorities in trade and logistics infrastructure, as well as priority implementation projects and their financing mechanisms. They are also expected to endorse the institutional framework for governance, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and risk management associated with the strategy.
Finally, the workshop's conclusions are expected to lead to the adoption of a consensual roadmap for the finalization and domestication of the revised National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy, while further strengthening the mobilization of public and private stakeholders in support of its implementation.
Issued by:
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Economic Commission for Africa
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