Trade and economic policy experts have called on African governments to urgently implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and reduce reliance on U.S. aid and trade to withstand the disruptive policies proposed by President Donald Trump.
They warned that continued over-dependence on Western economies will continue to deepen vulnerabilities across the continent. This call was made during a webinar themed, ‘Navigating Africa’s Place Amidst Trump’s Tariffs’, organised by VerivAfrica.
The webinar, featuring economists and trade experts, highlighted the vulnerability of African economies to U.S. policy shifts. The policy, which imposes a flat 10 per cent tariff and up to 50 per cent on some countries, is expected to take effect on August 1, 2025. According to the experts, African countries stand to lose preferential access to the U.S. market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a scenario they warned could reverse years of trade-driven development on the continent.
Postdoctoral fellow at the University of South Africa, Dr Chimere Iheonu, noted that the freeze on U.S. development assistance could shrink GDP in 23 African countries by about three per cent, compounded by the looming health crisis triggered by Trump’s proposed withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) by 2026.
Assistant General Manager, Nigeria Economic Zones Association (NEZA), Chidinma Udeogu, warned that Trump’s tariffs, especially on textiles and agriculture, directly threaten jobs in export-dependent nations like Lesotho and Nigeria, adding that Nigeria and other oil-exporting nations could face additional revenue shocks.
Noting that Africa must deepen intra-continental trade, fix structural inefficiencies and invest in critical infrastructure, she added: “Only 15–18 per cent of Africa’s trade happens within the continent, compared to 60 per cent in Europe and over 70 per cent in Asia. That is a huge opportunity gap.”
Beyond trade, the panellists identified financing and industrialisation as key pillars of Africa’s resilience. Udeogu called for a repositioning of Africa’s over 200 special economic zones (SEZs) to serve as AfCFTA-aligned industrial hubs rather than export enclaves dependent on external markets.
Senior research associate, VerivAfrica, Victor Igono, stressed that Africa’s fragmented trade approach weakens its bargaining power.
“The EU negotiates as a bloc, Africa must do the same,” he said. He urged African leaders to move beyond crisis-response mode and instead focus on building a resilient economic framework through the AfCFTA.
