*As ATE launches private sector growth engine

*Unlocks continent-wide logistics ecosystem, regional hubs

 By Prince Osuagwu,  Hi-Tech Editor

Africa, has just put a foot forward towards addressing an estimated $50 billion annual import gap while unlocking new intra-African trade corridors when it launched the Africa Trade Engine, ATE, weekend.

Africa Trade Engine is a pioneering joint venture between TRT Manufacturing and TradeDepot.

At the Virtual launch, which saw in attendance media organisations from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana among other countries, the organisers claimed the initiative marks a transformative step in building Africa’s industrial and trade self-sufficiency.

Chairman of ATE Adam Molai said “ATE is designed as a private-sector engine for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with a mission to drive trade and job creation, enabling global and African brands to produce in Africa, and reach African markets faster and more reliably.

He added: “The talking is over. Africa Trade Engine ensures Africa’s industrialisation, intra-continental trade, and sustainable job creation are not future aspirations but operational realities” .

“Built by African hands and powered by African enterprise, ATE transforms trade theory into trade at work — proving that Africa can manufacture competitively, distribute efficiently, and grow inclusively,” said Molai

ATE combines TRT Manufacturing’s industrial expertise in product formulation, manufacturing, quality assurance, export packaging, and plant operations with TradeDepot’s digital distribution infrastructure, market access, and trade data analytics.

Together, they unlock a continent-wide manufacturing and logistics ecosystem linking regional production hubs from South Africa to Benin, as well as active distribution points in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.

Co-Founder of TradeDepot and CEO ATE, Kachi Izukanne, said that: “Africa’s shift from import dependency to local production is not just an economic imperative,  it’s a job creation and climate game-changer.

“It is aimed at uplifting youth employment and harnessing Africa’s youth dividend, where the median age is 19.7 years, as well as the trends of urbanisation and rising consumer demand.

Each facility will build technical expertise and stabilise local livelihoods.

“We are creating supply chain resilience with regionalised production networks ensuring continuity during global disruptions,” added Izukanne.

The ATE model also adds significant impetus to AfCFTA, where 54 signatories, 1.4 billion people, and a US$3.4 trillion GDP market open the door to immense opportunities and sustained growth.

By localising the production of essential FMCG including household and personal care products, ATE addresses an estimated US $50 billion annual import gap while unlocking new intra-African trade corridors.

ATE’s distributed manufacturing and pack-out nodes were conceived as a direct response to the COVID-19 supply chain crisis, ensuring Africa never stalls again.

Local production also cuts long-haul transport emissions and supports national decarbonisation targets.

“Every kilometre of reduced shipping is a tangible carbon win. Each facility means livelihoods retained, families stabilised, and skills transferred locally. Manufacturing at home is migration policy in action — dignity and employment anchored in local economies,” says Izukanne.

He promised that ATE’s model will also deliver measurable and immediate impact across the data and tech fronts.