Afrieximbank summit: Mene champions digital identity, trade

Barbara Bako, Abuja

Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Mr. Wamkele Mene, has urged African leaders and institutions to prioritize the development of a unified digital identity infrastructure to accelerate cross-border trade, financial inclusion, and regional integration.…

Speaking on Thursday at a special session on the sidelines of the 32nd Annual Meetings of Afreximbank in Abuja, Mene emphasized that the free movement of people and goods remains critical to the success of the AfCFTA and digital solutions must be central to unlocking this ambition.

Mene said “We are not a supranational institution, but we are committed to removing barriers that hinder trade, particularly in sectors like pharmaceuticals. There must be a continental mechanism for regulatory recognition that allows a product manufactured in Nigeria to be accepted in all 54 member countries without passing through 54 regulators.”

He emphasized that regulatory harmonization is essential for making intra-African trade practical and cost-effective, especially for emerging sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, and services.

Mene also highlighted the continent’s efforts to create a digital backbone for trade, warning that progress in digital commerce cannot thrive if Africa continues to suffer from fragmented digital regulations and weak infrastructure.

“Digital trade cannot happen in a digital pothole. Investors have told us: ‘Why should we invest in Africa when India offers a unified set of rules for digital infrastructure?’ That’s why we’re working to establish a single set of rules for digital public infrastructure,” he pointed.

Read also:Africa’s next step: Renewal over resilience – Shettima tells Afreximbank forum

According to Mene, one of the key innovations under development is a digital pass a unified, continent-wide digital identity and transaction platform aimed at small and informal businesses. The platform, he explained, would allow small enterprises to open bank accounts, track business activity, access credit, and trade across borders with reduced friction.

This initiative mirrors India’s digital public infrastructure model, which successfully onboarded over 95% of its 1.4 billion population. Mene believes Africa, with similar demographics, can replicate and even improve on this achievement with the right investments and political support.

“We are seeing global tech companies showing real interest because regulatory burdens are being lifted. We are creating a framework that welcomes innovation, especially for the benefit of informal traders and smallholder farmers,” he said.

Referencing the recent launch of a partnership platform at the Afreximbank event, Mene said it forms part of a broader effort to ensure that no one is left behind in Africa’s digital trade transformation.

He concluded by restating that AfCFTA is more than a legal framework: “It’s Africa’s group project and we must all show up, united in action.”