Africa’s future depends on moving people, skills and ideas across borders — Dr Yamson

Speaking at the Kgalema Motlanthe Winter Seminar 2026 in Johannesburg, held under the theme “Migration as a catalyst for African integration, innovation and shared prosperity,” Dr Yamson said well-managed migration has historically been a major driver of economic growth and regional integration across Africa.

Dr Yamson stressed that the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will depend on more than removing trade barriers, noting that the continent must also prioritise skills mobility, infrastructure, digital connectivity, financial integration and social cohesion.

Africa’s economic transformation will depend not only on the movement of goods and capital but also on the ability of people, skills and ideas to move freely across borders, Dr Ishmael Yamson, a member of Ghana’s Presidential Advisory Group on the Economy, has said.