The First Lady of Angola, Her Excellency Ana Dias Lourenço, has delivered a powerful call to action, stating that the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) hinges on it being “fully and genuinely inclusive” in both spirit and daily practice.
Speaking at the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2026 under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade”, she argued that economic inclusion for women and youth is a strategic necessity, not merely a moral obligation.
“Investing in women and youth is not a symbolic gesture; it is a strategic decision to ensure stronger economies, fairer societies and a future of truly shared African prosperity,” she said.
Beyond bureaucracy to transformative action
H.E. Lourenço framed the AfCFTA as far more than a technical trade pact, describing it instead as a “strategic instrument” to transform Africa’s potential into equitable prosperity. Its true success, she warned, depends on a deliberate, sustained approach to uplift the millions in the informal sector and to overcome the “historical and structural inequalities” limiting women and youth.
She placed the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade at the centre of this mission, stating that its role is “central and non-negotiable”. The first lady identified specific, tangible barriers to integration that must be dismantled. Alongside customs tariffs, she highlighted linguistic barriers as a silent divider.
“We must vigorously promote language education so that our youth and women entrepreneurs can communicate, negotiate and enter into contracts anywhere on the continent,” she urged, arguing that linguistic diversity should be an asset, not an obstacle.
On the existential threat of climate change, she connected environmental with economic resilience. “There can be no sustainable free trade without climate-resilient agriculture,” she declared, calling for African women farmers to have access to green technologies to ensure food security.
The Angolan model: investing in human capital
Outlining Angola’s domestic strategy, H.E. Lourenço emphasised investment in human capital as a top state priority, focusing on quality education and technical training to prepare citizens for a diversified economy.
She shared insights from her advocacy work, including her “Transform Lives, Be a Woman” platform and the upcoming Cunene Youth Campus, which aim to equip women and the youth with tools in mental health, finance, entrepreneurship and leadership.
H.E. Ana Dias Lourenço, who also serves as the vice-president of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), issued a stark warning about the cost of exclusion.
“The economic exclusion of women and youth constitutes a serious structural risk to the stability and competitiveness of our continent,” she said. “A productive youth population is the most effective antidote to radicalisation and instability.”
She concluded with a rallying cry for a continent-wide effort: “Let us build together an AfCFTA that leaves no one behind, that overlooks no village, and that forgets no talent.”
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