Ghana’s capital, Accra, has been unveiled as the Commercial Capital of Africa at an event to open a two-day conference dedicated to preparing the ground for the start of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) next year.

Accra Mayor, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who led a team of government officials and captains of industry to formally confer the title on Ghana's capital city, said Accra remains central to the history of the African Union.

“Accra is a leading city in Africa. This is a city which marked the beginning of decolonisation and spurred the emergence of an Africa that is managed by Africa.

“These major achievements were driven from the city of Accra, which hosts the most important infrastructure and administrative machinery,” he said at the 4th Ghana International Conference on Trade & Finance which began on Tuesday, October 27, 2020.

Mohammed Adjei Sowah said the declaration of Accra as the commercial capital of Africa calls for more work to improve the city.

He said the declaration should not be seen as a mere slogan.

He urged the government to ensure that when AfCFTA begins next year, Ghana will be in a position to ensure that the integration agreement is successful and Accra is ready to reap the full benefits.

Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, said the declaration of Accra as the commercial capital of Africa is appropriate because it acknowledges the significant role Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, played in the African liberation effort.

“We are the only major country without an AU agency…Ghana deserves to have an important agency of AU,” Dr Osafo-Maafo said to justify the declaration.

The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) partnered with the AMA to declare Accra as Africa’s commercial capital.