Solomon Owusu Slams AfCFTA Implementation in Africa

A member of the United Party (UP), Solomon Owusu, has criticised African leaders over what he describes as the failure to fully implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), despite its headquarters being located in Accra.

Speaking on Pan African TV on May 23, 2026, Owusu said Africa’s youth have the potential to drive continental unity and economic transformation but remain largely disconnected across borders due to weak cooperation structures.

He stressed that little effort has been made to build meaningful relationships among young people across African countries.

“As a continent, we must begin to preach this borderless Africa. We are the youth of the continent. Nobody is trying to put us together,” he said.

Owusu added that the lack of cross-border engagement makes it difficult for young Africans to address shared economic and political challenges collectively.

“The Ghanaian youth have no relationship with the Burkina Faso youth. We don’t have a common ground, so we see their struggles as country-specific,” he noted.

He also criticised the AfCFTA initiative, arguing that despite its promise to transform intra-African trade, implementation has been largely ineffective.

“We took upon ourselves what you call the African Continental Free Trade Area, something that could change the destiny of the continent. How well do we preach it? How well are we domesticating it as part of our national agenda? There is nothing. We have only set up an office where we pay staff. No realistic thing has happened,” he said.

Owusu further raised concerns about external economic influence on African markets, referencing cocoa production in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

He questioned why African producers, despite contributing significantly to global cocoa output, do not have control over pricing.

“We produce a chunk of the world’s cocoa output, yet prices are determined by people who have not planted cocoa trees,” he stated.

He argued that stronger collaboration between African countries, particularly Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, could help the continent gain greater control over its resources.

“But if we are to team up and work together, we will make headway,” he added.