AfDB Showcases Industrialization and Trade at Intra-African Trade Fair 2025

IATF2025 has attracted more than 30,000 participants from 75 countries, making it one of the largest trade and business gatherings ever held on the continent.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is using Africa's premier trade and investment platform to highlight the power of industrialization and regional integration in driving the continent's economic growth. At the fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), which opened yesterday in Algiers, Algeria, the Bank is showcasing its flagship initiatives and reaffirming its commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Africa's Largest Trade and Investment Gathering

IATF2025 has attracted more than 30,000 participants from 75 countries, making it one of the largest trade and business gatherings ever held on the continent. The fair is expected to generate over $44 billion in trade and investment deals, offering new opportunities for governments, businesses, and investors.

As a sponsor of the event, the AfDB is playing a key role in shaping discussions on how trade and industrial development can transform Africa's economies. Ousmane Fall, the Bank Group's Director for Industrial and Trade Development, is leading a ten-member delegation at the fair.

AfDB's Transformational Agenda

"The African Development Bank is proud to stand at the forefront of Africa's economic transformation," Fall said. "By investing in industries, infrastructure, and trade facilitation, we are enabling African economies to create jobs, add value locally, and compete globally. IATF2025 is the marketplace where Africa's vision of 'Made in Africa' becomes a global brand."

The AfDB is focusing its engagement at IATF2025 on several key initiatives:

• Africa Investment Forum (AIF): A flagship AfDB platform for mobilizing private capital, with its next Market Days event scheduled for November in Rabat, Morocco.

• Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs): Designed to attract private sector investment, modernize agriculture, and create employment in agro-linked industries.

• Regional Value Chains Development: Programs to strengthen Africa's participation in industries such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, automotive manufacturing, and minerals beneficiation.

• Support for SMEs: Providing financing and capacity-building to small and medium enterprises that form the backbone of Africa's economies and job creation.

Leveraging the AfCFTA

The AfDB has been one of the strongest institutional supporters of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which seeks to unite 1.4 billion people under a single market valued at $3.4 trillion. By cutting tariffs, harmonizing standards, and removing trade barriers, AfCFTA is expected to boost intra-African trade by more than 50 percent by 2030.

At IATF2025, the Bank is highlighting its role in financing infrastructure, trade facilitation, and industrial development projects that will help countries fully harness the benefits of AfCFTA.

Transforming "Made in Africa" Into a Global Brand

With global supply chains shifting, AfDB leaders argue that Africa has a unique opportunity to position itself as a manufacturing hub for the world. By adding value to raw materials, boosting processing industries, and expanding regional markets, the continent can create millions of jobs while increasing resilience to global economic shocks.

"IATF2025 is not just about trade deals," Fall said. "It is about defining Africa's future—a future where African industries power growth, where African products compete globally, and where African youth benefit from new opportunities."

Looking Ahead

The Bank will continue its engagement with governments, investors, and entrepreneurs throughout the fair, using the platform to announce new partnerships and expand investment pipelines. AfDB officials say the outcomes of IATF2025 will feed directly into its upcoming Africa Investment Forum in Rabat, helping unlock capital for priority projects across the continent.