Mr. Augustine B. Kidisil, a Lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School, has stated that many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are not taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement because of a lack of education.

The Lecturer, therefore, called for more education on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement for the benefit of indigenous businesses.

“Many SMEs are not taking advantage of the Agreement because they do not understand it. The Ghana National Coordinating Office of AfCFTA under the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the AfCFTA Secretariat must provide the needed education on the operations of AFCFTA.”
Mr. Augustine Kidisil

Mr. Kidisil made this known at a forum organized by ActionAid Ghana together with the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) on the AfCFTA operationalization for decent work in Accra. The forum was on the theme: ‘AfCFTA Agreement and Regional Economic Integration Reflections and Opportunities for Decent Work and Human Security.’

The event funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation was to provide a platform for Civil Society Organisations to engage in campaigns and advocacy against modern slavery, indecent work, and human insecurity. It was also to provide a platform for deliberation on the impact of the AfCFTA Agreement on the acceleration of regional economic value chains and its implication on decent work practices and human security.

Mr. Kidisil intimated that educational activities should focus on the procedures, processes, and protocols of the Agreement. He proposed that every participating Member State should design its own strategies and mechanisms to take advantage of opportunities in the Agreement.

AfCFTA Establishes Adjustment Fund

Mary Agyekum, Senior Legal Officer at AfCFTA Secretariat, disclosed that the Secretariat has established an adjustment fund to support countries and institutions affected by the implementation of the Agreement.

The Senior Legal Officer noted that one of the key challenges to the implementation of the agreement is an infrastructural gap, because “The Member States are at various developmental stages”.

Mr. John Nkaw, the Interim Country Director for ActionAid Ghana, averred that the forum is also meant to collaborate with the AfCFTA Secretariat to safeguard the rights and dignity of the vulnerable in an integrated regional economy.

“It is expected that key stakeholders would obtain an improved understanding of the AfCFTA Agreement and its likely impact on the regional economic value chain.”
Mr. John Nkaw

Mr. Nkaw indicated that decent work is under the ActionAid Ghana Mission Priority two of the Country Strategy Paper Six.

The Country Director noted that the advocacy is hinged on a human rights-based approach and from a feminist leadership perspective to tackle structural causes and manifestations of poverty and injustice. He observed that although significant efforts towards eliminating indecent work practices have been made by the human trafficking secretariat under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and other stakeholders, “we have more work to do to ensure that Ghana meets this target.”

Mr. Nkaw added that it is important that attention is paid to the prospects of AfCFTA to streamline fair work practices, anti-human trafficking, and anti-modern slavery activities and systems across the continent.

Trading under AfCFTA started in earnest on January 1, 2021, after negotiations were launched on June 15, 2015.