By Muhammad Amaan
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has unveiled an initiative aimed at strengthening intra-African creative collaboration and tourism.
The AfCFTA Forum and Festival on Tourism, Creatives and Cultural Industries, was launched on Friday in Lagos, Nigeria.
The launch marked the official unveiling of the event tagged, ‘Creatives Connect Afrika.’
The event which is scheduled to hold from November 24 to November 26, in Accra, Ghana, is organised by AfCFTA in collaboration with the Black Star Experience (BSE) and Africa Tourism Partners (ATP).
The event is aimed at harnessing the power of creativity, culture and tourism to drive integration, job creation and sustainable growth across the continent.
AfCFTA Director, Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights, and Digital Trade, Mrs Emily Mburu-Ndoria, said the creative, tourism and cultural sectors, which included film, music and fashion, were not just industries but the heartbeat of Africa’s economies.
“Our work is not just about boosting GDP or increasing trade figures. It is about empowering our youth, who form the majority of Africa’s population, to see creativity not only as a passion but also as a viable pathway to prosperity.
“It is about enabling women entrepreneurs in fashion, design and film to expand their businesses and claim their space in the global economy,” she said.
Mrs Mburu-Ndoria said the platform sought to achieve four things, including strengthening Africa’s integration agenda by harmonising policies and removing barriers that hinder intra-African trade in creative industries.
She said it would also provide capacity-building and skills development for our filmmakers, designers and musicians, equipping them to compete globally.
Coordinator of BSE Secretariat, Mr Rex Omar, said the collaboration would unlock new opportunities for intra-African trade in the creative, tourism and cultural sectors.
Omar noted that the BSE was a strategic initiative under the Office of Ghanaian President, John Mahama, designed to position the country as Africa’s leading cultural, tourism and creative hub.
He, however, said that the collaboration with AfCFTA and ATP, was designed to empower African creatives, and also transform cultural potential into economic prosperity.
“It addresses both the supply and demand sides of Africa’s creative economy. Equipping, protecting, connecting and empowering creative entrepreneurs, filmmakers, musicians, designers and innovators to trade their services seamlessly across borders,” he said.
Mr Omar explained that the platform would serve as a comprehensive digital and physical marketplace linking African creatives to investors, distributors and partners.
He said the platform would also provide training on intellectual property rights, export regulations, digital trade and branding.
The Chief Executive Officer, ATP, Mr Kwakye Donkor, said the platform was designed to amplify Africa’s pockets of excellence, including music, film, fashion and cultural exchange, and also boost regional integration and mobility within the continent.
According to Donkor, Africa’s creative and tourism industries remain vital tools for unity and shared prosperity that reflect the continent’s resilience and identity.
“Film, music and fashion are not just industries, they define who we are and connect us as Africans,” he said.
Describing Nigeria as the biggest and most vibrant creative and economic powerhouse on the continent, Donkor urged the media and industry practitioners to support Creatives Connect Afrika’s success.
The event will feature panel sessions with policymakers, exhibitions showcasing Africa’s film, music and fashion, as well as masterclasses for young entrepreneurs.
