Fifth Africa Prosperity Dialogues launched in Accra

The fifth Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2027 was officially launched in Accra, Ghana, with a focus on creating a borderless Africa that allows for free movement, seamless payments, and increased trade. The three-day event, scheduled from January 27 to 29, 2027, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, aims to address the challenges and opportunities in achieving this vision.

The event's theme, "The Borderless Africa We Want: Move Freely. Pay Seamlessly. Trade More," was introduced by Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network. Otchere-Darko explained that the venue change to the Kempinski Hotel was due to the nearby conference center being closed for renovations, reducing the capacity from 6,400 participants to about 1,000.

He noted that only four African Union member states have ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement's Free Movement Protocol, which would allow visa-free travel across the continent. Ghana is not among these four countries. Otchere-Darko emphasized the need for African countries to move beyond discussions on integration and take practical steps towards achieving a borderless Africa.

He highlighted the difficulties Africans face when traveling across the continent and the potential benefits of mobile money interoperability. This would allow for easier cross-border payments and business transactions, boosting intra-African trade and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.