Africa Learning from Africa: ECOWAS Peer Learning Mission to the EAC Reveals Regional Integration in Practice
On October 13 to 17, 2025, a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) crossed into East Africa with a simple but powerful mission – to learn. What they found, from Arusha to Namanga, and from Malaba to Busia, was both evidence of successful trade facilitation, and a living example of regional […]
Kenya Strengthens Traceability to Meet Deforestation-Free Market Standards
Across Kenya’s coffee highlands, new patterns are emerging, led by both the producers and the Government of Kenya. Farmers are being mapped, plots recorded, and digital systems are quietly reshaping how coffee moves from farm to market. Each data point represents progress toward new ways of implementing agricultural trade, the move to verifiable, deforestation-free exports. […]
Compliance Opens Doors, Diversification Keeps Them Open
At the GLOBALG.A.P. Tourstop 2025 held in Nairobi, Kenya, the message was clear: compliance is the passport to global markets. Kenya’s agricultural exports remain a cornerstone of its economy. Horticulture contributes billions in foreign exchange earnings, creates jobs across farming, logistics and processing, and anchors the livelihoods of 6.5 million people. The sector’s success has […]
Safety and efficiency at Rusizi and Rubavu ports herald new chapter for Lake Kivu trade
The waters of Lake Kivu have long been crucial for trade between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but for many boat operators and traders, navigating the lake was as much about managing risk as it was about reaping opportunities. Vincent Twizeyimana, a boat operator at Rusizi Port, remembers a time when outdated […]
EU-supported initiative advances Tanzania’s trade facilitation by addressing NTBs
Reducing the cost and time of trade across Tanzania’s corridors is central to improving competitiveness. Yet, non-tariff barriers (NTBs) such as roadblocks, duplicative standards, and inconsistent border procedures, continue to hinder the free flow of goods, even where tariffs have been liberalised. In response to this persistent challenge, more than 50 representatives from the Government […]
Tanzania’s Horticulture Moves Up the Value Chain from Farm to Global Buyer
In Tanzania’s Southern Corridor, avocado growers are recording higher export volumes, better prices, and stronger market linkages. Over 10,000 farmers have been connected directly to 24 off-takers, avoiding losses to middlemen and securing more predictable incomes. Certification to international standards such as GLOBALG.A.P has opened access to high-value markets in Europe and Asia, with rejection […]
Cutting feed costs to unlock sustainable fisheries growth
Feed remains the biggest cost driver in Africa’s fisheries production, accounting for an estimated 60–70% of total outlays. A two-day (4–5 September 2025) meeting in Nairobi set out a practical plan to bring those costs down while lifting output and standards across the value chain. The engagement was part of the Women and Youth Economic […]
Tony Blair Institute provides African leaders a roadmap to accelerate the world’s largest free trade area
27 August 2025 – The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has released a new paper The AfCFTA Imperative: From Vision to Impact providing Africa’s leadership with an actionable roadmap to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and drive economic transformation. The paper builds on TBI’s previous publication Africa First: A New […]
East Africa’s newly unveiled regional customs bond to facilitate smooth trade in East Africa
Uganda’s Minister of State for EAC Affairs, Rt. Hon. James Magode Ikuya with EAC SG, Hon. Veronica Nduva launching the EAC Bond The East African Community (EAC) has taken a major step towards streamlining regional trade with the launch of the EAC Customs Bond, a mechanism designed to reduce the cost of doing business and […]
Rwanda’s newly minted private meat inspectors on the frontlines to boost food safety, create jobs for youth
Annick Dusengimana (centre) and other participants during the graduation ceremony Kigali, Rwanda – On 27 June 2025, thirty-five young Rwandans were certified as private meat inspectors after completing an intensive six-month training programme. This initiative was specifically designed to enhance food safety standards and create valuable employment opportunities within Rwanda’s expanding meat industry. Their certification […]