Africa is home to the world's youngest population, fastest growing markets, vast reserves of critical minerals, vast agricultural potential and a rapidly growing agro-tech ecosystem.
Yet, the continent has long occupied the margins of global trade, supplying raw materials while playing a limited role in shaping trade structures, finance and governance.
Africa trades more with the world than with itself – a pattern Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, knows all too well, having struggled to translate its size into trade influence.
But the story is slowly changing. At the center of this change is Access Bank, which is urging Africa to stop watching global trade from the sidelines and start shaping it.
The Bank's Africa Trade Summit (ATC) 2026, scheduled to take place in Cape Town on 11 March, is designed to help make that change a reality.
Intra-Africa remains at less than 20 percent – a gap that ATC 2026 hopes to address.
When Roosevelt Ogbonna, group managing director of Access Bank Plc, said, “Africa will not be a spectator in the reconstruction of global trade,” he was making a clear statement of intent.
This conference is not just talk but action. It is about repositioning Africa, and Nigeria in particular, as active players in global commerce.
The 2026 conference, themed 'Turning Vision into Velocity: Building Africa's Trade Ecosystem for Real-World Impact', comes at a time when Africa's largest trade project, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a $3 trillion opportunity, is moving from paper to practice.
The conference will offer practical and result-oriented solutions to expand intra-African and global trade.
Removing barriers to African trade
Africa's business landscape is changing, and removing barriers is key to unlocking its full potential.
ATC 2026 focuses on the real problems that limit African trade. At the first conference, leaders from 28 countries came together not just for speeches, but to address the issues holding back African businesses.
Seyi Kumapayi, executive director of African subsidiaries at Access Bank, said these three major barriers continue to hinder African trade.
He listed these as limited access to affordable finance, lack of reliable information and weak trust between trading partners.
These challenges help explain why trade among African countries is stuck at about 16 percent of total trade, well below Europe's 60 percent and Asia's 40 percent.
“We want to use our relationships inside and outside Africa and be a gateway between Africa and the world, working under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.”
“We are working to close these glaring gaps to ensure that we take intra-African trade to 30 to 40 percent over the next few years.”
Kumapayi said Access Bank has always been committed to promoting economic growth and sustainable development across the African continent.
building business ecosystem
Despite 1.3 billion people and a $3 trillion market, Africa's business opportunity will remain unrealized without strong financial systems, efficient infrastructure, clear regulations and technology adoption.
Access Bank understands this. That is why it describes ATC 2026 not as a banking event, but as a meeting point for policy, finance, technology and business.
For Nigeria, the benefits of this strategy are significant. As Access Bank has expanded to 24 countries, including 16 countries in Africa, it is building a network that makes cross-border trade easier and cheaper for Nigerian and African small businesses.
Payments become easier, risks are better managed, and trade documentation becomes easier to handle. The bank has already raised approximately $2 billion from development finance institutions for long-term lending across Africa.
If deployed well, this funding could help close Africa's estimated $81 billion annual trade finance gap. For Nigerian manufacturers, farmers and exporters, this means much more than numbers. This means access to working capital, supply chain finance and trade guarantees that enable them to compete beyond Nigeria’s borders.
It also means support in meeting international standards, which is one of the biggest obstacles facing Nigeria's non-oil exports. Through ATC 2026, exporters can connect directly with regulators, certification agencies, logistics firms and buyers from other markets. This type of direct interaction helps overcome obstacles that cannot be fixed with paperwork alone.
driving innovation
In this age of rapid technological advancements and interconnected economies, it is paramount to develop a culture that fosters innovation in business.
Due to this, the business conference will also showcase the latest business innovations from across the continent. Nigerian and African fintech firms, agritech startups and innovative logistics solutions will be showcased to investors and partners during the conference. This is important as technology is becoming central to modern business.
Manual processes, fragmented payment platforms and poor access to information have slowed down Africa's trade systems for decades.
ATC 2026 will focus on how digital tools, from faster payment systems to smart credit assessment, can reduce costs and speed up transactions. Studies show that digital business solutions can reduce business costs by up to 15 percent, which is a significant benefit for small and medium-sized businesses.
Access Bank's recent expansion and acquisitions have strengthened its presence in Southern, Eastern and Central Africa.
Hosting the conference in Cape Town for the second time highlights South Africa's role as a major gateway economy. It also opens the door to regional business models where Nigerian capital, South African infrastructure and regional supply chains work together.
Countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo can benefit from these linked value chains, particularly in agriculture, energy and mining.
The AfCFTA is central to this approach. While most African countries have signed and ratified the agreement, implementation remains uneven. Rules of origin, tariff schedules and removal of non-tariff barriers are slowly progressing. ATC 2026 provides an informal but powerful platform for policymakers and regulators to engage directly with businesses and financiers.
These conversations often achieve more than formal negotiations because they focus on practical solutions.
By providing the financial and operational tools needed for cross-border trade, Access Bank helps translate political agreements into real economic activity.
Another main focus of the conference is inclusion. Across Africa, women and youth account for the majority of small businesses, yet they are often excluded from trade finance.
SMEs are responsible for more than 80 percent of employment across the continent, but they receive only a small share of the trade finance available.
ATC 2026 will explore new financing models such as supply chain finance and receivables rebates to expand access to capital. This is not just a social goal; This is an economic necessity if Africa wants to increase inter-continental trade.
The conference is also taking place against increasing global competition for African markets.
Also read:Africa startup funding rises to $272 million in February, but big deals dominate recovery
Major powers are expanding their trade and investment initiatives across the continent. Although these partnerships bring opportunities, they also come with risks. An African-led platform like ATC 2026 helps to ensure that external activities align with Africa's own development priorities.
This reinforces the idea that Africa should trade with the world on its own terms by adding value locally rather than exporting raw materials alone.
talks are going on
Africa's business transformation needs doers, not just dreamers. Access Bank is putting its money where its mouth is. By hosting ATC 2026, the Bank is demonstrating its commitment to Africa's business development as the conference focuses on practical solutions, connecting markets, fixing bottlenecks and financing development.
It is about building resilient businesses and institutions that are willing to think beyond limitations and short-term gains.
