The inaugural AfCFTA Conference on Competition is underway in Lomé

The inaugural AfCFTA Conference on Competition is underway in Lomé, co-convened by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the OECD on the margins of #BiasharaAfrika2026.

Regulators, Policymakers, RECs, Private sector, Development partners, all in one room, with one goal: building the competitive markets Africa's integration agenda demands.

Secretary-General H.E. Wamkele Mene set the tone:

"We want a united continent that approaches competition and law-related matters in an integrated manner."

The consensus is clear: harmonised frameworks, institutional cooperation, and coordinated enforcement are foundational for a single market that works for every African business and consumer.

The Lomé conference is a significant signal that Africa’s competition agenda is moving from treaty design into implementation, with the AfCFTA Secretariat and OECD now framing competition policy as core infrastructure for the continental market. The policy message is clear: Africa’s single market will only work if national, regional, and continental authorities coordinate on rules, enforcement, and institutional responsibilities.

Background

The AfCFTA competition agenda has been building for several years through work on the Protocol on Competition Policy, including awareness-raising, technical capacity-building, and discussions on how implementation should fit alongside regional economic communities and national authorities. A key design issue has been whether Africa should rely mainly on harmonisation and cooperation, or move toward a more integrated supranational model for cross-border competition matters.

The OECD’s role matters because it brings technical expertise and a long-standing Africa partnership focused on policy cooperation and standards. In practice, this kind of collaboration helps translate broad integration goals into workable rules on mergers, market dominance, cartels, and jurisdictional coordination.

What the conference signals

The strongest signal from Lomé is that “purely national” enforcement is not enough for an integrated market, especially where anti-competitive conduct crosses borders or affects multiple member states. The emphasis on harmonised frameworks suggests growing support for common principles rather than fragmented national approaches.

It also indicates that regional competition authorities and the future AfCFTA Competition Authority will need a clear division of labor to avoid duplication, conflict, or regulatory gaps. That is especially important because Africa already has multiple layers of competition regulation at national and regional levels.english.

Likely implications

For businesses, harmonisation could reduce uncertainty, lower compliance complexity, and make it easier to operate across borders. For consumers, stronger coordination can improve protection against cartels, monopoly abuse, and unfair pricing.iol.co+2

For policymakers, the key implication is institutional. The conference points toward a continental system that depends on shared standards, interoperable procedures, and mutual recognition of enforcement roles. If that is done well, the AfCFTA’s market rules become more credible and more predictable for investors and SMEs alike.

Main risks

The biggest risk is fragmentation: if continental, regional, and national bodies overlap without a clear framework, enforcement could become slower and less effective. Another risk is uneven capacity, because competition authorities across Africa differ widely in expertise, resources, and institutional maturity.

There is also a political balance to manage. A stronger continental regime can improve consistency, but states may worry about losing discretion over domestic market regulation. The likely compromise is a mixed model: continental rules, regional cooperation, and national implementation where appropriate.

Why it matters now

This conference matters because AfCFTA integration is no longer just about tariffs and customs procedures; it is also about the competitive conditions that determine whether African firms can actually trade and grow across borders. Competition policy is becoming part of the “enabling architecture” of the single market.english.

In short, Lomé shows the AfCFTA moving toward a more practical integration model: one that treats competition law as a foundation for market fairness, investment confidence, and consumer welfare rather than as a narrow legal technicality.