The Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has said the adoption of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protocol by African countries will accelerate industrial development and strengthen the continent’s economic transformation.
Mene stated this during a visit to Nigeria, where he also disclosed that intra-African trade reached $220 billion in 2024, reflecting growing implementation of the AfCFTA agreement.
According to him, the Intellectual Property Rights Protocol extends beyond being a legal framework, serving as a strategic tool for leveraging innovation to drive industrialisation across Africa. He noted that the protocol would also support the continent’s ambition of improving public health through stronger local production of pharmaceuticals.
“The Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights is an opportunity for us as a continent to leverage intellectual property to advance our industrial development. It also provides the tools to strengthen public health through patents, trademarks and other mechanisms that support innovation and manufacturing,” he said.
Mene explained that the framework would enable African countries to scale up domestic pharmaceutical production, reduce dependence on imported medicines and build more resilient health systems across the continent.
He added that all AfCFTA protocols have now been concluded, with the focus shifting fully to implementation. He revealed that more than 10,000 certificates of origin were issued in 2024, underscoring growing participation in the continental free trade agreement.
Expressing optimism about the future of the agreement, Mene said African leaders and ministers remain committed to taking the implementation of AfCFTA to the next level through stronger collaboration and policy coordination.
Reflecting on his recognition at the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit, Mene described himself as a committed Pan-Africanist inspired by the vision of Africa’s founding leaders. He said the partnership between AfCFTA and the summit would deepen efforts to ensure intellectual property becomes a catalyst for innovation, industrialisation and sustainable development across the continent.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the 2026 Organising Committee of the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit, Sand Mba-Kalu, said the summit seeks to transform Africa’s intellectual property ecosystem by ensuring that IP frameworks work for Africans and contribute meaningfully to the continent’s economic growth.
