Lomé, Togo — Africa’s economic integration ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will remain incomplete unless governments remove air transport barriers that continue to restrict the movement of people and goods across the continent, an official from the African Civil Aviation Commission has said.
Speaking at a continental forum in Lomé, H.E. Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General-African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC), stressed that seamless connectivity is essential for trade, investment, and regional integration in Africa.
“High-value and time-sensitive goods must move efficiently across African borders,” the official said. “A young entrepreneur must be able to attend a trade fair, meet investors, and conclude business deals without the continent itself becoming the obstacle,”H.E. Adefunke Adeyemi said.
The remarks come as African leaders and policymakers intensify efforts to operationalize the AfCFTA, which seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services.
H.E. Adefunke Adeyemi noted that despite progress in trade liberalization, air transport across Africa remains constrained by high charges, regulatory barriers, and legal restrictions that continue to hinder mobility and commerce.
“This must change,” the official declared, calling for stronger implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), a flagship African Union initiative designed to liberalize air transport services across the continent.
AFCAC, the African Union’s specialized agency for civil aviation and the executing body for the Yamoussoukro Decision, said it continues to advocate for harmonized aviation regulation and commercially viable air corridors to support regional economic integration.
According to the official, connectivity should be viewed as the “lifeblood of integration,” warning that political declarations alone would not unify African markets.
She noted that, “Markets cannot integrate through declarations,” the speaker said. “They integrate when people can travel easily, when goods move seamlessly, when investors can connect freely, and when African economies are physically linked to one another.”
The official added that Africa already possesses the vision, institutions, legal frameworks, and human capital needed to succeed, but lacks consistent execution and sustained political commitment.
H.E. Adefunke Adeyemi concluded her speech with an invitation to another continental aviation integration forum scheduled to take place in Lomé from June 15 to 19 under the patronage of the Togolese authorities.
The event is expected to focus on advancing continental cooperation in air transport and improving connectivity across Africa.
