VP Kashim Shettima Advocates Full AfCFTA Implementation to Boost Africa’s Economy

Written on 23/01/2025
Leadership NG

Vice President Kashim Shettima has joined global leaders in advocating for the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aiming to elevate Africa's economy to $29 trillion by 2050. Speaking at a high-level forum, Shettima reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to spearheading the AfCFTA initiative, leveraging its potential for digital transformation and economic integration across the continent.

The President of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Børge Brende, highlighted the transformative power of AfCFTA, projecting substantial economic growth if fully implemented. Shettima emphasized that Nigeria is poised to take full advantage of this historic opportunity to drive Africa's economic prosperity.



According to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Senator Shettima and the global leaders declared their nations’ positions on Wednesday during a forum of Friends of AfCFTA on the sidelines of the ongoing 2025 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

While addressing the forum tagged “Forum Friends of AfCFTA: Turning Digital Trade into a Catalyst for Growth in Africa,” the Vice President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to AfCFTA as a vehicle for shared prosperity.

According to Shettima, Africa is uniquely positioned to exploit global talent deficits, citing a Korn Ferry study that projects a global human talent shortage of more than 85 million people by 2030.

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