By Folarin Kehinde

The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, has said the implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights will drive Africa’s industrialisation, boost local pharmaceutical production and reduce the continent’s dependence on imported products.

Mene stated this on the sidelines of the 18th Meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers Responsible for Trade in Abuja after receiving the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit 2026 Award.

He said the protocol, recently adopted alongside its annexes, goes beyond providing a legal framework for protecting intellectual property, describing it as a strategic tool for economic transformation across the continent.

“The Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights is not just a legal instrument. It is an opportunity for us as a continent to leverage intellectual property to advance our industrial development,” he said.

According to him, the framework will also support Africa’s public health agenda by strengthening local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products through the effective use of patents, trademarks and other intellectual property mechanisms.

“In the area of local production of pharmaceuticals, the protocol shall enable us to move much faster to foster industrial development and eventually eliminate over-reliance on imports of pharmaceutical products by producing them here on our continent,” Mene added.

The AfCFTA Secretary-General disclosed that implementation of the continental trade agreement was gathering momentum, noting that intra-African trade reached $220bn in 2024, while more than 10,000 certificates of origin had been issued under the agreement.

“We concluded all of the protocols. We have now transitioned to implementation. Implementation is moving, but we have to accelerate it,” he said.

He stressed that greater collaboration with the private sector would be critical to unlocking the full benefits of the AfCFTA.

“We have to accelerate collaboration with the private sector because it is the private sector that will ensure that we see the benefits of this agreement,” he said.

Speaking on the award, Mene described public service as both an honour and a responsibility, saying he remained committed to advancing Africa’s integration agenda.

“I am very honoured by this recognition. Public service is an honour and a duty, and I am privileged to serve Africans across the length and breadth of our continent,” he said.

He also reaffirmed the AfCFTA Secretariat’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit to support implementation of the Intellectual Property Rights Protocol.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit, Sand Mba Kalu, said effective intellectual property protection was essential for the success of the AfCFTA.

“Our vision is to change the intellectual property narrative in Africa and ensure that IP works for Africans,” Kalu said.

He noted that although the AfCFTA provides a platform for expanding intra-African trade, Africa must protect ownership of its innovations and products to maximise the benefits of the agreement.

“We cannot trade more with ourselves if we don’t own what we trade,” he said.

Kalu said the seventh edition of the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit would hold in Nairobi, Kenya, where stakeholders would collaborate with the AfCFTA Secretariat to advance implementation of the Intellectual Property Rights Protocol.

According to him, the summit’s theme is “Mainstreaming Intellectual Property for African Trade, Industrialisation and Creative Economy Transformation.”