by Dr George Elombi, President and Chairman, Board of Directors, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
At a moment when Africa is seeking to accelerate growth, deepen resilience, and claim its rightful place in the global economy, we are called to confront one of the most persistent constraints on our collective progress: the barriers—visible and invisible—that continue to fragment our continent. Africa is a continent of extraordinary promise. We are home to the world’s youngest population, vast natural resources, vibrant entrepreneurs, and a shared ambition for prosperity. Yet, despite these advantages, intra-African trade remains far below its potential, and the movement of African people, goods, services, and capital across borders is still far more difficult than it should be.
Today, it is often easier for an African business to trade with partners outside the continent than with partners from a neighbouring country. It is sometimes easier for a non-African passport holder to move across Africa than for an African citizen. This paradox is not merely an inconvenience; it is a structural constraint on growth, competitiveness, and inclusion.
The Make Africa Borderless Now! campaign challenges us to rethink what borders mean in the African context. Let me be clear: this campaign is not about erasing sovereignty. It is about re-imagining borders as bridges rather than barriers. A borderless Africa is one where goods move efficiently from farm to factory to market across countries, entrepreneurs scale innovations across regions without prohibitive costs, financial flows support trade rather than constrain it and where Africans can travel, work, and invest across the continent with dignity and ease.
In short, it is an Africa where integration works in practice—not just on paper. The African Continental Free Trade Area has given us a historic framework. It is the largest free trade area in the world by number of countries, and it embodies the vision of a unified African market. But as we all know, agreements alone do not move trucks across borders, nor do they eliminate delays at ports, checkpoints, and payment systems. Implementation is where ambition meets reality. The Make Africa Borderless Now! campaign is therefore a call to action— a call to translate AfCFTA commitments into measurable outcomes that citizens and businesses can feel.
Borders matter for business. For African businesses, especially SMEs and women- and youth-led enterprises, border frictions are not abstract policy issues. They are real costs. Delays that spoil perishable goods, documentation requirements that discourage first-time exporters, currency and payment challenges that disrupt supply chains, and regulatory inconsistencies that raise the cost of doing business.
When borders are inefficient, African competitiveness suffers, and the promise of regional value chains remains unrealised. At Afreximbank, our mandate is clear: to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. But over the years, we have learned that finance alone is not enough. Trade finance must be accompanied by efficient payment systems, harmonised regulations, trade-enabling infrastructure, and strong collaboration between governments and the private sector. This is why Afreximbank has invested not only in capital, but also in systems, platforms, and partnerships that reduce friction across borders.
A historic opportunity to leapfrog traditional constraints
Initiatives such as continental payment and settlement solutions, trade facilitation programmes, support for regional value chains, and capacity building for customs, banks, and businesses all share one objective: to make African trade faster, cheaper, and more predictable. The “Make Africa Borderless Now!” campaign speaks directly to this mission.
History shows us that integration advances fastest when it is championed at the highest political level. The success of this campaign will depend on political will, policy coherence, and accountability in implementation. Presidential leadership sends a powerful signal to public institutions, to the private sector, and to Africa’s development partners – border efficiency is not a technical detail, but a strategic priority.
Equally important is the role of the private sector. Businesses are not just beneficiaries of a borderless Africa; they are co-architects of it. We must listen to transporters navigating corridors, exporters dealing with compliance requirements, banks managing cross-border risk, and digital innovators simplifying trade processes. Their experience should inform policy, and their innovation should shape solutions.
Technology offers Africa a historic opportunity to leapfrog traditional constraints. A borderless Africa will be built not only with roads and ports, but also with code, data, and digital trust. Digital customs systems, electronic certificates, interoperable payment platforms, and data-driven risk management can dramatically reduce border delays and costs. But digital transformation requires interoperability across countries, trust between institutions, as well as investment in skills and infrastructure.
Integration must be inclusive. If a borderless Africa benefits only large corporations, we will have failed. Women traders, informal cross-border traders, small manufacturers, and young entrepreneurs must experience simpler procedures, lower costs, and greater protection. A truly borderless Africa is one where small traders cross borders safely and legally, youth can scale startups across regions, and women-owned businesses access regional markets on fair terms. This is not just an economic imperative—it is a social one.
We need boldness to make the “Make Africa Borderless Now!” movement a success, and it is imperative on us to commit to the removal of unnecessary administrative barriers while harmonising standards and procedures, investing in trade-enabling infrastructure, measuring progress transparently and holding ourselves accountable. Let us move from dialogue to delivery, from aspiration to action.