President Paul Kagame has once again promoted the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) as a pact that will guarantee the improvement of Africa's negotiating position on the global stage.

“In the years ahead, the AfCFTA and the Protocol of the Free Movement of Persons will significantly increase the level of trade among African nations while strengthening our negotiating position globally,” the Rwandan leader and Chairperson of the African Union said.

He was speaking Friday at the ongoing 38th summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Windhoek, Namibia, which attracted heads of state and government officials from members of the bloc.

The two-day summit is held under the theme “Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development”.

President Kagame told fellow leaders that common experiences across the continent prove that African states are infinitely stronger when they face the world as a common front, while also remaining respectful to their national interests regadless of economic or geographical size.

“Domestic priorities are of course important and can never be disregarded. Those needs are what brings us together in the first place. We must find a way of taking care of our home front while building our regional economic communities. We have the ability to do more for our countries individually, but even better, collectively. Today more than ever collaboration among African countries is not a choice,” he said.

"It is precisely because we recognise the necessity and advantage of going beyond the borders of our respective countries that we have joined forces through Regional Economic Communities and the African Union.”

He added that the long term prosperity and security of Africa depend on creating conditions that enable young Africans to achieve their full potential within Africa.

The CFTA was signed by 44 African nations in March during the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union hosted in Kigali.

SA sign

The deal was boosted heavily last month after South Africa put pen to paper.

The AU cites a huge continental market of 1.2 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic Product of more than $3.4 trillion as leverage that will boost African economies under the CFTA, as well as boost intra-Africa trade from 14 percent to over 52 percent by 2022.

Rwanda is among only six nations that have completed the ratification of the CFTA, out of the 45 nations that signed the agreement.

The others that ratified the agreement include Kenya, Niger, Ghana, Chad and Swaziland.

Entry into force of CFTA requires at least 22 countries to ratify the agreement.