Gabon’s VEEP Leads High-Level Delegation To APN Secretariat In Strategic Closed-Door Meetings

The Africa Prosperity Network (APN) hosted a series of strategic closed-door meetings on the fourth day of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2026, headlined by a high-level visit from Gabon’s Vice President, H.E. Barro Chambier Alexandre, to the APN Secretariat.
The Vice President led a senior Gabonese delegation that engaged with the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), H.E. Wamkele Mene, in discussions focused on Gabon’s economic reform agenda and the country’s strategic priorities under the continental trade framework.
In a press statement after the meeting, H.E. Wamkele Mene and H.E. Barro Chambier Alexandre spoke about the strategic trade policy discussions. The closed-door session brought together four senior officials from Gabon and four representatives from the AfCFTA Secretariat to explore critical areas including the finalisation of Gabon’s tariff concession list, enacting necessary trade legislation, and signing the implementation decree to enable exports through the AfCFTA framework.
Secretary-General Mene highlighted the immense opportunities available to Gabon within Africa’s single market of 1.5 billion people, urging the country to leverage the AfCFTA as it embarks on a renewed economic reform agenda following its recent political transition.”At the heart of that agenda, what I understood from the Vice President, is market diversification, leveraging the AfCFTA,” Mr Mene stated in remarks to the media following the meetings. He expressed satisfaction that Gabon is re-engaging with the African Union and reclaiming its leadership role within Central Africa.
A Borderless Africa Gains Momentum
In a significant show of political commitment, Vice President Alexandre affirmed Gabon’s full support for the “Make Africa Borderless Now!” movement, the groundbreaking campaign launched at APD 2026 that envisions a continent where Africans can move freely across borders without visa restrictions.The movement, which seeks to mobilise 10 million signatures in support of visa-free travel across the continent, represents a watershed moment for African integration. Citizens across the continent and throughout the diaspora are being urged to add their voices to this historic campaign by signing the petition, transforming the aspiration of a truly borderless Africa from a distant dream into an actionable mandate.
The campaign’s twelve priority action points draw largely from existing protocols and treaties, underscoring that the infrastructure for a borderless Africa already exists, what is needed now is the political will and popular support to implement it.Secretary-General Mene addressed the continental vision during his press briefing, noting that whilst only four of the African Union’s 55 member states have ratified the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, several countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Kenya, have taken unilateral steps to improve visa openness, demonstrating that progress is both possible and practical.
Bilateral Commitments to Integration
The Gabonese delegation, accompanied by APN’s Executive Chairman Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and board members Vanessa Roux and Kweku Sakyi Addo, also held a courtesy meeting with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Minister Ablakwa expressed the Ghanaian government’s full support for the borderless campaign, revealing that Ghana had just concluded a visa-free travel agreement with Zambia earlier in the week. He also discussed the possibility of a similar bilateral agreement between Ghana and Gabon, signalling both countries’ commitment to facilitating easier movement for their citizens.
Digital Innovation for Financial Integration
Addressing questions on continental financial convergence, Mr Mene acknowledged that whilst a common African currency remains a key long-term vision requiring significant macroeconomic alignment, Africa could explore innovative pathways through digital instruments and emerging financial technologies.
“In the advancements of the digital economy, there are other instruments that we can look at which can enable us to move much faster,” he said, referencing the potential of interoperable digital payment systems that would allow Africans to trade without converting currencies through the dollar, a key action point within the “Make Africa Borderless Now!” movement.
Expanding the Global Africa Narrative
Day 4 also featured discussions between APN Chairman Otchere-Darko and Marilyn Sophocle, President of the US-based Women Ambassadors Foundation and Howard University professor, exploring the strategic expansion of APN’s annual Global Africa Forum. Secretariat Ms Sophocle was accompanied by Pascal Meslien, a French Caribbean Africa policy consultant and businessman, and Lucrèce Meslien of Comité de la Marche ’98, a French association that advocates for the recognition of Afro-descendants in French jurisdictions.
“We want Global Africans not to only see Africa’s integration just as a moral obligation, but also as a profitable venture,” said Mr Otchere-Darko, arguing that Africa’s global perception directly impacts the dignity of people of African descent worldwide. Ms Sophocle, also founder of the African-American and Afro-European Transatlantic Forum, proposed a partnership between APN’s Global Africa Forum, the Women Ambassadors Foundation, and the Organisation of American States to build a comprehensive platform. “The economic contribution of Global Africans towards bankable development projects will serve both as a moral good and a profitable investment,” she said.
Mr Otchere-Darko proposed expanding the forum to a two-day event, with the New York meeting continuing to focus on the UN General Assembly, whilst a Washington, D.C. meeting would engage the Women Ambassadors Foundation, the Organisation of American States, and academia from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026 continues to serve as a critical platform for advancing continental integration, economic transformation, and strategic partnerships across Africa and the global African diaspora.
Join the Movement
Members of the public who wish to support the vision of a borderless Africa are encouraged to sign the “Make Africa Borderless Now!” petition and add their voice to this historic continental movement.
About the Make Africa Borderless Now! Movement
The Make Africa Borderless Now! movement is a transformative initiative driving towards the realisation of a unified African market. By advocating for the elimination of barriers to trade, travel, and economic activity, the movement seeks to unlock Africa’s full economic potential and improve the quality of life for all Africans, both on the continent and across the diaspora.
Africa Prosperity Network
The Africa Prosperity Network is a leading Pan-African organisation dedicated to advancing economic integration, sustainable development, and shared prosperity across the African continent. Through strategic initiatives, thought leadership, and collaborative partnerships, the Network works to create an enabling environment for Africa’s economic transformation.