Gateway to new Opportunities: Finance Minister Kasaija in Algiers for the 4th Intra-African Trade Fair.

The 4^th Intra-African Trade Fair has opened today for the next 6 days in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria expected to gather over 2000 exhibitors, 75 countries, and 35,000 trade deals and investments.

With intra-African trade currently at just 15%, the trade fair represents a step towards building stronger value chains in intra-African trade among African enterprises.

The Trade Fair is running under the theme "Boosting Intra-African Trade for a Sustainable Future: Innovation, Value Addition, and Green Industrialization".

The theme captures Africa’s collective ambition to accelerate digital trade, strengthen regional value chains, and move towards industrial growth.

During the opening ceremony on held at the ICC - Abdel Latif Rahal, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija who is representing President Museveni in Algeria, has been invited by his counterpart.

The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is a premier platform for trade and investment in Africa, organized by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and Algerian Investment Promotion Agency.

The Algerian President, Mr. Tebboune Amadjid, during the opening ceremony, announced the launch of major projects, including the launch of a railway project towards Mali and another towards Niger, the establishment of maritime routes and direct flights with African countries, as it is inconceivable for African brothers to have to transit through European airports to reach Addis Ababa, creation of five free trade zones with Maghreb countries and Sahel countries among others.

H.E. Mene Wamkele, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA at the Secretariat, said that “Intra-African trade rebounded strongly in 2024, reaching US$220 billion - a 12.5% increase from 2023.”

H.E. Mene underlined that the fair’s true value lies beyond figures; “The true success of the IATF is not in the numbers. It is in the jobs created, in the women entrepreneurs supported, in the SMEs empowered, and in the opportunities for young entrepreneurs.”

Key themes at the trade fair include Business climate & reforms attracting investment, Promising sectors & untapped opportunities, Integration into African & global value chains, Strengthening partnerships under the AfCFTA, among others.

The 5th Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) has been selected to be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.