«Sherif El-Gabaly Calls for Practical Steps to Activate AfCFTA and Move Beyond «Theoretical Meeting

Cairo, 29 April 2026:

Dr. Sherif El-Gabaly, Chairman of the Africa Cooperation Committee at the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), delivered a decisive message during the Egyptian-Ghanaian Investment Conference. The virtual event was organized in coordination with H.E. Ambassador Wael Fathy, Egypt’s Ambassador to Ghana, and the Egyptian Commercial Office in Accra, featuring high-level attendance from the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).

In a press statement issued today, Dr. El-Gabaly emphasized that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a historic opportunity to shape an integrated economic future for the continent. However, he stressed the urgent need to transition from theoretical frameworks and workshops to tangible, on-the-ground implementation.

Speaking at the joint business forum, El-Gabaly presented a comprehensive vision for deepening economic ties between Egypt and Ghana under the umbrella of a unified African market of over 1.4 billion people. He criticized the persistence of high customs duties that hinder the movement of goods between African nations, reaffirming that the core objective of the agreement is to reduce costs and enhance the global competitiveness of African products.

To break the cycle of “paper protocols,” Dr. El-Gabaly proposed an immediate “Practical Exercise”: selecting two specific commodities to undergo the full actual trade exchange process, serving as a real-world model for others to follow.

He identified several vital sectors for cooperation with Ghana, including:

Building Materials: Leveraging Egyptian expertise in infrastructure development.

Pharmaceuticals: To boost local manufacturing and ensure access to high-quality medicine.

Renewable Energy & Digital Transformation: Building on the success of recent workshops.

Agro-processing & Logistics: To improve value-added chains.

Dr. El-Gabaly called on forum participants to seize this platform to transform available opportunities into “concrete projects” that serve both the Egyptian and Ghanaian economies. He highlighted that real progress requires a robust partnership between the public and private sectors and a deep understanding of market needs.

Before departing to attend the African Parliament sessions, Dr. El-Gabaly concluded his speech with a powerful closing statement: “We need to see results on the ground… Action, action, and more action.” He expressed his hope that this forum would serve as a true launchpad for the practical and comprehensive activation of the continental agreement.

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