Africa must integrate its economies to unlock growth and jobs, Foreign Ministry director says

Pinned summary · as of 21:01

A senior Foreign Ministry official has called on African countries to bring their economies closer together, telling a Channel One TV event in Accra that division wastes the continent's strength, according to Citi Newsroom. Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman, the ministry's Coordinating Director for Political and Economic Affairs, spoke on Thursday, 1 October, at the launch of DW's Under the Baobab programme in Africa.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Citi Newsroom reported that Ambassador Agyeman wants African states to knit their economies together more tightly so the continent can realise its potential for growth, jobs and prosperity, and that he said a divided Africa cannot fully tap its collective economic strength.
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  According to Citi Newsroom, Ambassador Agyeman put Africa's combined GDP at about US$3.5 trillion, adding that for a fragmented continent the number "cannot serve any purpose".
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  Citi Newsroom said Ambassador Agyeman cited the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a significant move to bring economies closer and boost commerce between African nations, and that he said intra-African trade produced more than US$220 billion in 2024 and is still growing.
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  The ambassador said, as Citi Newsroom reported, that closing oneself or one's country off does not solve unemployment or poor public services, and that working with others creates the potential for prosperity, growth and jobs.
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  Citi Newsroom reported that Ambassador Agyeman tied integration to migration, saying the movement of people has historically helped Africa's development. "Migration is not the problem," he said, and he urged the media and other stakeholders to resist narratives that blame migrants for unemployment, weak public services and other hardships.
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  According to Citi Newsroom, Ambassador Agyeman held that efforts towards peace, stability and greater prosperity across the continent should be driven by a common African identity, and that, because Africa is a very young continent, many young people could realise their aspirations through migration and integration.
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  Citi Newsroom said the ambassador thanked the DW Africa team, which organised the dialogue, and Channel One TV, its partner, and regarded talks about migration, xenophobia and belonging as significant for where Africa is heading.

Why it matters for Ghana

Intra-African trade, jobs for young people and attitudes towards migrants all touch daily life in Ghana, from traders who sell across borders to graduates seeking work. The ambassador's remarks show how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs frames the AfCFTA and the debate on migration. Those positions could shape how Ghana approaches regional trade and the treatment of Africans who move between countries.