Credit: Eugene Nyarko Jnr. l Accra l February 6, 2026
Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has called on African leaders to prioritize economic integration and the removal of barriers within the continent, warning that borders restrict Africa’s true sovereignty and potential.
He gave the caution while delivering his remarks at the Presidential & Business Leaders’ Dialogue, held on Day Three of the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD). The dialogue, held under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade,” took place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Friday, 6th February, 2026.
The APN Founder highlighted the disconnect between the continent’s ambitious treaties and protocols and their actual implementation. He recounted past efforts at global platforms such as Davos, where Africa often finds itself “not part of the major discussion,” underscoring the need for homegrown spaces like the APN dialogues to center African voices in shaping continental growth.
“Borders restrict our sovereignty. You cannot have sovereignty when you don’t have economic leverage,” Otchere-Darko emphasized, drawing attention to Africa’s untapped economic potential. He argued that restrictive borders hinder trade, limit youth opportunity, and stall continental prosperity.
Tracing Africa’s integration efforts from the 1977 Accra meeting that established the African Standards Organization to the Abuja summit of 1991 which laid the foundation for the Economic Community of Africa, Otchere-Darko noted decades of unfulfilled promises. He highlighted the signing of the Free Movement Protocol in Addis Ababa in 2018 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) two months later, lamenting that only a handful of countries have ratified these agreements.
Mr. Otchere-Darko cautioned that youth unemployment, already a pressing challenge, could escalate into a major crisis if African nations fail to act decisively. “Currently, we have 1 billion young people in Africa, and by 2040, 1.3 billion of them will be of working age. Our economy is big enough to create jobs for them, but only if we open our borders and leverage our collective potential,” he said.
He drew a stark contrast with global powers, noting that while the United States and Europe continue to fortify their borders, Africa restricts its own progress by clinging to outdated systems. Citing the recent EU-India free trade agreement, Otchere-Darko argued that Africa’s population of 1.5 billion should be a source of leverage, not limitation.
The APN chairman further challenged African leaders to move beyond signing treaties to implementing them effectively, and economic sovereignty must translate into opportunities for the continent’s youth. “If we don’t understand that sovereignty is meaningful only when it gives our citizens dignity, then we have a long way to go,” he added.
