Hassan Ayariga (Right) speaks on BizTech
Founder and leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has urged African countries to shift their focus from Western markets and instead prioritise trade within the continent.
In an exclusive interview on BizTech on GhanaWeb TV, Ayariga questioned Africa’s continued economic dependence on Europe and America, despite the continent’s vast internal market.
“Africans should begin to trade among African countries. They have huge markets as African citizens. What is wrong with them? Why do we need the European market or the American market?” he asked.
He argued that Africa has the capacity to meet its own needs if intra-continental trade receives the attention it deserves.
Ayariga called for a strategic approach where individual African countries focus on producing key commodities for regional distribution.
“Ghana should be a country that is designed to have two or five things that the rest of the African countries can import from. Nigeria should have five commodities that the rest of the African countries can import from,” he suggested.
Ayariga further emphasised that fostering trade within Africa could serve as the foundation for a more independent and resilient economic future.
He added that once a strong African market is established, global powers would naturally be drawn in.
“When we make our products strong and build our own industries, they themselves will want to come in. We don’t need to invite them,” Ayariga said, describing this as a new form of globalisation led by Africa itself.
Ayariga’s comments come amid growing concerns about the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the ongoing push for economic integration across the continent.
SP/MA
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