African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary-General Wamkele Mene has been awarded the All Africa Intellectual Property Leadership and Continental Integration Award for his role in advancing Africa’s trade, industrialisation, and integration agenda.
The award was presented by the leadership of the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit (AAIPS) during a courtesy visit to the AfCFTA Secretariat on the sidelines of the 18th Meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers Responsible for Trade held in Abuja, Nigeria.
From Agreement to Implementation
AAIPS Chairman Sand Mba Kalu, who led the delegation, praised Mene for transforming the AfCFTA from a landmark agreement into a working platform for trade and economic opportunity across the continent.
“Under your leadership, the AfCFTA has continued to move from aspiration to implementation, from political commitment to practical economic opportunity, and from continental vision to an operational framework capable of reshaping Africa’s trade future,” Kalu said during the presentation.
He added that the award recognizes Mene’s contribution to connecting African markets, empowering businesses, and advancing trade as a vehicle for shared prosperity.
Call for Stronger IP-Trade Partnership
Kalu used the occasion to push for a formal partnership between the AfCFTA Secretariat and AAIPS to support implementation of the AfCFTA Intellectual Property Rights Protocol.
“The time has now come to move from goodwill to structure, from participation to partnership, and from occasional engagement to a formal continental collaboration,” he said.
The two institutions also discussed deeper collaboration ahead of the 7th All Africa Intellectual Property Summit scheduled for Nairobi in November 2026.
“IP Protocol Is About Industrial Development”
Responding, Mene welcomed the call for closer ties, describing the relationship between the AfCFTA Secretariat and AAIPS as critical to Africa’s industrial and innovation agenda.
“The Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights is not just a legal instrument. It is an opportunity for us as a continent to leverage intellectual property to advance industrial development, strengthen public health through local pharmaceutical production, and reduce over-reliance on imports,” Mene stated.
He confirmed that all AfCFTA protocols have now been concluded, with focus shifting fully to implementation. “We have to accelerate implementation and deepen collaboration with the private sector because it is the private sector that will ensure that we see the benefits of this Agreement.”
The award highlights the growing link between Africa’s trade and intellectual property agendas. Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to promoting innovation, industrialisation, and effective implementation of the AfCFTA IP Protocol as key drivers of the continent’s economic transformation.
