Moroccan Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour has that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an ambitious project that requires time and tighter coordination among member states.
Speaking at the opening of the second AfCFTA Business Forum, Mezzour cited infrastructure gaps, high transport costs, and governance challenges as key obstacles to implementation.
He highlighted King Mohammed VI’s Atlantic Initiative, aimed at transforming Africa’s Atlantic coast into a hub for economic development and regional stability.
The plan includes connecting isolated Sahel countries to the Atlantic through modern infrastructure and partnerships.
Mezzour said the Dakhla Atlantic Port is designed as a major logistics platform linking Europe, the Sahel, and West Africa, and supporting AfCFTA integration.
Mehdi Tazi, vice president of Morocco’s employers’ union, said poor infrastructure and high transport costs make it easier to market services than goods.
He also pointed to financial and logistical hurdles, and currency fragmentation, as barriers to continental integration.