Ghana exported non-traditional goods to 47 African countries in 2025 under AfCFTA – Coordinator

Ghana exported non-traditional goods to 47 African countries in 2025, the National Coordinator of the National AfCFTA Coordination Office, Dode Seidu, has disclosed, describing the reach as tangible evidence of the country’s progress in implementing the continental trade agreement.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, October 21, Mr Seidu said Ghana had made significant strides through initiatives spanning both public institutions and private businesses, though he acknowledged that considerably more work was needed to maximise the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area .

Ghana was the first country to establish a national coordination office to support AfCFTA implementation, a structure that requires government agencies and other institutions to integrate the agreement into their operations. Mr Seidu noted that several institutions have since aligned their activities with the agreement, demonstrating the country’s readiness to expand trade and investment across the continent .

He cited the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre’s establishment of an AfCFTA focal desk to facilitate and attract intra-African investment as one of the concrete measures supporting the initiative. “If you go to Ghana’s Promotion Authority, which are all agents under the Ministry of Trade, you’ve seen clear signals,” Mr Seidu said. “If you look at the annual export non-traditional export report issued by Ghana’s promotion authority in 2025, we exported to 47 African countries under the AfCFTA” .

The 47-country footprint represents a notable expansion of Ghana’s trade reach, though the coordinator cautioned that awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises remains a critical gap. Many SMEs are yet to understand the opportunities available under AfCFTA, making intensified public education and business engagement essential to broadening participation in the continental market .

The National AfCFTA Coordination Office, established in March 2020 under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, serves as the central point for coordinating Ghana’s strategic response to the agreement and as a liaison between the ministry and the AfCFTA Secretariat headquartered in Accra . Mr Seidu, who took up the coordinator role in 2026, brought extensive experience in international trade policy and regional integration, having previously founded the Africa Trade Academy .

Ghana’s export performance under AfCFTA has been accompanied by broader institutional efforts. The Ghana Standards Authority has been collaborating with the coordination office on harmonising African standards to reduce technical barriers to trade . The Ghana Free Zones Authority has also engaged the coordination office to address challenges limiting Free Zones enterprises from registering and operating under the AfCFTA framework, with only 32 of over 300 licensed enterprises currently registered .

Mr Seidu’s disclosure comes as Ghana seeks to translate its hosting of the AfCFTA Secretariat into concrete commercial gains for domestic producers, with attention increasingly focused on ensuring that SMEs and manufacturers are equipped to seize the opportunities the continental market presents.