Luanda: The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rui Minguªs de Oliveira, is leading the Angolan delegation to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Regional Conference in Abuja, Nigeria.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the event, running since last Wednesday, aims to delve into issues regarding the repositioning of women in the African market as drivers of the transformation of intra-African trade.
While in Abuja, the Angolan delegation is also participating in the 18th Meeting of the African Ministers of Trade Council, which seeks to accelerate trade and investment by women-led businesses within the AfCFTA market.
Discussions at the Regional Conference and the Council of African Ministers of Trade are taking place under the theme: "Turning the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade into Action: The agenda and steps for consistent integration of market opening for free trade."
Aspects such as air, land, and maritime connections-including export rates, routes, and key trade development corridors-are also receiving special attention from the participants.
For Minister Rui Minguªns, the conference highlights the value, strength, vision, and transformative capacity of women in driving the African economy.
Meanwhile, AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Director Ahunna Eziakonwa emphasized in their speeches that Africa possesses the conditions and potential to make the AfCFTA Protocol work for women and youth within a market featuring women-led businesses.
The event is jointly organized by Nigeria's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the UNDP, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
