About CTD

Africa has potential to be a major player in global trade and investment ecosystem. With a population of 1.3B —60% of whom are under the age of 25—a combined GDP of $2.8T and $700B in annual goods and services exports, the continent possesses the critical mass to meaningfully participate in global trade.

Despite the wealth of resources and human capital, Africa remains a marginal player in global trade and supply chains. Africa requires reliable infrastructure and enterprise development, affordable financing and investment, and market linkages anchored by a robust trade policy system to realize its economic potential.

While progress has been made, long-term growth is hindered by a reliance on episodic expertise rather than strong, enduring trade institutions. Current capacity is often insular and project-bound, and fails to build the permanent, home-grown capacity needed for trade expansion. Furthermore, the uneven and increasingly diverging capabilities within the continent further lead to asymmetric gains and market fragmentation.

While political ambition for regional trade remains high, the continent still struggles to translate market access into export earnings. Critical gaps persist in downstream functions, specifically implementation of trade agreements, regulatory reform, and the alignment of trade policy with broader development goals. Furthermore, the absence of deep analytical capacity and private sector integration prevents the conversion of trade agreements into productive investment.

Centre for Trade and Development was established to address these systemic challenges. It institutionalizes multidisciplinary expertise to strengthen Africa’s ability to negotiate and implement trade instruments from analytical strength, and to convert trade commitments into long-term economic growth.