Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Join Forces to Build National Capacity for African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation

 

The Ministry of Trade and Industry of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), is conducting a four-day capacity building workshop for the National Implementation Committee (NIC) on the AfCFTA. Taking place from 10 to 13 June 2025 in Freetown, with hybrid participation, the workshop aims to equip key national stakeholders with the knowledge, tools, and coordination mechanisms required to implement the AfCFTA effectively.

This collaborative effort reflects Sierra Leone’s strong commitment to leveraging the opportunities of the AfCFTA, which brings together a market of over 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. As the national coordinating body for AfCFTA implementation, the Ministry is leading efforts to ensure that Sierra Leone’s institutions are fully prepared to operationalize the Agreement in alignment with national development priorities.

The workshop will focus on critical areas of the AfCFTA Agreement and its protocols, including:

• Rules of Origin
• Digital Trade
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Women and Youth in Trade
• Trade Facilitation
• Key findings from Sierra Leone’s AfCFTA Readiness Assessment

Participants include representatives from the public and private sectors, civil society, and development partners. The training is designed to strengthen institutional coordination, enhance technical understanding of AfCFTA instruments, and promote inclusive trade practices.

“This workshop is a crucial step in ensuring that Sierra Leone is not only ready to trade under the AfCFTA, but also strategically positioned to benefit from it,” said a representative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. “Our collaboration with ECA and the AfCFTA Secretariat is key to building the technical foundation and partnerships we need to succeed.”

The AfCFTA Secretariat and ECA are providing technical support, facilitating knowledge-sharing, and delivering expert insights based on continental experiences and best practices.

This initiative also supports broader national policy goals, including export diversification, digital transformation, and inclusive growth, as outlined in Sierra Leone’s National Trade Strategy and Medium-Term National Development Plan.

The workshop underscores the collective commitment of the three institutions to ensuring that AfCFTA implementation is locally owned, technically sound, and inclusive, laying the groundwork for sustainable development through trade.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).