Africa is home to the world’s youngest population, some of the fastest-growing markets, vast deposits of critical minerals, enormous agricultural potential, and a booming agri-tech ecosystem.
Yet, the continent has long occupied the margins of global trade, supplying raw materials while playing a limited role in shaping trade structures, finance, and governance.
Africa trades more with the world than with itself – a pattern Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, knows all too well, having struggled to convert its size into trade influence.
But the story is gradually changing. At the centre of this shift is Access Bank, which is urging Africa to stop watching global trade from the sidelines and start shaping it.
The bank’s Africa Trade Conference (ATC) 2026, scheduled for March 11 in Cape Town, is designed to help make that change a reality.
Intra-African remains low at under 20 percent – a gap ATC 2026 hopes to address.
When Roosevelt Ogbonna, group managing director of Access Bank Plc, said, “Africa will not be a spectator in the remaking of global trade,” he was making a clear statement of intent.
This conference is not just talk but action. It is about repositioning Africa, and Nigeria in particular, as active players in global commerce.
The 2026 conference, themed ‘Turning Vision into Velocity: Building Africa’s Trade Ecosystem for Real-World Impact,’ comes at a moment when Africa’s biggest trade project, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a $3 trillion opportunity, is moving from paper to practice.
The conference will drive practical and outcome-orientated solutions for expanding intra-African and global trade.
Removing barriers to African trade
Africa’s trade landscape is shifting, and removing barriers is key to unlocking its full potential.
The ATC 2026 is focused on the real problems that limit African trade. At the first conference, leaders from 28 countries came together, not for speeches alone, but to address the issues holding African businesses back.
Seyi Kumapayi, executive director for African subsidiaries at Access Bank, said that these three major barriers continue to hinder African trade.
He listed them as limited access to affordable finance, lack of reliable information, and weak trust between trading partners.
These challenges help explain why trade between African countries remains stuck at about 16 percent of total trade, far below Europe’s 60 percent and Asia’s 40 percent.
“We want to use our connections in and outside Africa and, working within the African Continental Free Trade agreement, to be a gateway between Africa and the world.”
“We are working to bridge these glaring gaps to ensure we take intra-African trade to 30 to 40 percent over the next couple of years.”
Kumapayi said Access Bank has always been committed to driving economic growth and fostering sustainable development across the African continent.
Building trade ecosystem
Africa’s trade opportunity will remain unrealised without strong financial systems, efficient infrastructure, clear rules, and technology adoption, despite its 1.3 billion people and a market of $3 trillion.
Access Bank understands this. That is why it describes ATC 2026 not as a banking event, but as a meeting point for policy, finance, technology, and business.
For Nigeria, the benefits of this strategy are significant. As Access Bank expands across 24 countries, including 16 in Africa, it is building a network that makes cross-border trade easier and cheaper for Nigerian and African small businesses.
Payments become smoother, risks are better managed, and trade documentation is easier to handle. The bank has already mobilised about $2 billion from development finance institutions for long-term lending across Africa.
If well deployed, this funding can help close Africa’s estimated $81 billion annual trade finance gap. For Nigerian manufacturers, farmers, and exporters, this means more than numbers. It means access to working capital, supply chain finance, and trade guarantees that enable them to compete beyond Nigeria’s borders.
It also means support in meeting international standards, one of the biggest obstacles facing Nigeria’s non-oil exports. Through ATC 2026, exporters can engage directly with regulators, certification agencies, logistics firms, and buyers from other markets. This kind of direct interaction helps remove barriers that paperwork alone cannot fix.
Driving innovation
In this era of rapid technological advancement and interconnected economies, cultivating a culture that nurtures innovation in trade is paramount.
Owing to this, the trade conference will also showcase lastest trade innovations across the continent. Nigerian and African fintech firms, agritech startups, and innovative logistics solutions will be showcased to investors and partners during the conference. This is important because technology is becoming central to modern trade.
Manual processes, fragmented payment platforms, and poor access to information have, for decades, slowed Africa’s trade systems.
ATC 2026 will focus on how digital tools, from faster payment systems to smarter credit assessments, can reduce costs and speed up transactions. Studies suggest that digital trade solutions could reduce trade costs by up to 15 percent, a significant gain for small and medium-sized businesses.
Access Bank’s recent expansions and acquisitions have strengthened its presence in Southern, Eastern, and Central Africa.
Hosting the conference in Cape Town for the second time highlights South Africa’s role as a key gateway economy. It also opens the door to regional trade models where Nigerian capital, South African infrastructure, and regional supply chains work together.
Countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo could benefit from these linked value chains, particularly in agriculture, energy, and mining.
AfCFTA is central to this vision. While most African countries have signed and ratified the agreement, implementation remains uneven. Rules of origin, tariff schedules, and the removal of non-tariff barriers are progressing gradually. ATC 2026 offers an informal but powerful platform for policymakers and regulators to engage directly with businesses and financiers.
These conversations often achieve more than formal negotiations because they focus on practical solutions.
By providing the financial and operational tools needed for cross-border trade, Access Bank helps turn political agreements into real economic activity.
Another key focus of the conference is inclusion. Across Africa, women and young people own a large share of small businesses, yet they are often excluded from trade finance.
SMEs account for over 80 percent of employment across the continent but receive only a small share of available trade finance.
ATC 2026 will explore new financing models, such as supply chain finance and receivables discounting, to expand access to capital. This is not just a social goal; it is an economic necessity if Africa wants to scale up intra-continental trade.
The conference also takes place against growing global competition for African markets.
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Major powers are expanding their trade and investment initiatives across the continent. While these partnerships bring opportunities, they also carry risks. An African-led platform like ATC 2026 helps ensure that external engagements align with Africa’s own development priorities.
It reinforces the idea that Africa should trade with the world on its own terms, adding value locally rather than exporting raw materials alone.
Walking the talk
Africa’s trade transformation needs doers, not just dreamers. Access Bank is putting its money where its mouth is. By hosting ATC 2026, the bank is demonstrating its commitment to Africa’s trade growth as the conference is focused on practical solutions, connecting markets, fixing bottlenecks, and financing growth.
It’s about building resilient businesses and institutions willing to think beyond borders and short-term gains.
