A major logistics hub in Central Africa, the Autonomous Port de Pointe-Noire, which has a key role to play in trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), was visited on June 9, 2023, by Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Permanent Secretary General of AfCFTA, accompanied by his staff.
Arriving in the Republic of Congo as part of his tour of member states to assess the state of preparation for implementation of the AfCFTA agreement, Wamkele Mene, Permanent Secretary General of the AfCFTA, was warmly welcomed to the Port's administrative headquarters by the Director General of PAPN, Séraphin BHALAT. At the outset, he had an exchange session with the port's management, during which he was given a wealth of information on the port's nautical and infrastructural assets, through an institutional film that was screened for this purpose. The AfCFTA delegation was then invited on a guided tour of the port's facilities, in particular quay G4 of the container terminal, where he and his delegation were able to get a first-hand impression of the real situation.
Wamkele Mene, surprised by the quality of the infrastructure and flattered by the image of modernity conveyed by the PAPN, was full of praise for the port performance of Pointe-Noire, the gateway to Central Africa. He promised to lobby the port, whose performance and role in Africa seem to be ignored. “What I've seen in this port is unprecedented, and I'm very pleased with it. It's an important vector for interstate trade, which AfCFTA must build on”, he said. He also promised that AfCFTA would do everything in its power to help the Autonomous Port de Pointe-Noire secure AfCFTA financing for its projects.
Wamkele Mene went on to explain that AfCFTA will create a vast common market of over
1.3 billion consumers, with a GDP of around 3,400 billion dollars, expected to reach 8,000 billion by 2035. Ultimately, he stressed the importance of the port of Pointe-Noire in this free trade agreement. Thanks to its significant logistics offering, this hub will contribute to improving competitiveness and integrating African logistics. Indeed, he added: “What the African continental free trade zone presents is an opportunity for Africa to expand its capacity in terms of logistics, distribution services and maritime transport services. The Port of Pointe-Noire is strategically located in the heart of Central Africa, to be the interconnector between West Africa, Southern Africa and East Africa”.
The General Manager of PAPN thanked the Secretary General for his commitment to the realization of this African integration project, and for the support he had shown with his presence at the Autonomous Port de Pointe-Noire.
A flagship project of the African Union's Agenda 2063, with the aim of integrating all African states into a single zone, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which to date has been ratified by some 30 of the 55 countries that have ratified it, is an agreement synonymous with investment opportunities for economic operators. It came into force on 01 January 2021.