Abuja, Nigeria, 06 July 2026- /African Media Agency (AMA)/ – The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, has been honoured with the All Africa Intellectual Property Leadership and Continental Integration Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contribution to advancing Africa’s trade, industrialisation, and continental integration agenda.
African Newspage is the official media partner of the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit (AAIPS). The award was formally presented during a courtesy visit by the leadership of AAIPS to the AfCFTA Secretariat on the sidelines of the 18th Meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers Responsible for Trade, held in Abuja, Nigeria.
Led by its Chairman, Sand Mba Kalu, the AAIPS delegation commended Mene’s stewardship of the AfCFTA Secretariat and his role in driving implementation of the continental trade agreement.
The engagement also reaffirmed both institutions’ commitment to leveraging intellectual property to drive Africa’s trade, industrial and creative economy transformation, while exploring stronger collaboration ahead of the 7th All Africa Intellectual Property Summit in Nairobi in November 2026 and advancing implementation of the AfCFTA Intellectual Property Rights Protocol.
Presenting the award, Kalu described Mene as a visionary leader whose stewardship has transformed the AfCFTA from a landmark agreement into a practical platform for trade, industrial development and economic opportunity across Africa.
“Under your leadership, the AfCFTA has continued to move from aspiration to implementation, from political commitment to practical economic opportunity, and from continental vision to an operational framework capable of reshaping Africa’s trade future,” Kalu said.
He noted that the recognition acknowledged Mene’s enduring contribution to connecting African markets, empowering businesses, and advancing trade as a vehicle for shared prosperity.
Kalu also called for a stronger institutional partnership between the AfCFTA Secretariat and AAIPS to support the implementation of the AfCFTA Intellectual Property Rights Protocol. “The time has now come to move from goodwill to structure, from participation to partnership, and from occasional engagement to a formal continental collaboration.”
Responding, Mene welcomed the call for closer collaboration, describing the relationship between the AfCFTA Secretariat and AAIPS as critical to advancing Africa’s industrial and innovation agenda.
“The Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights is not just a legal instrument. It is an opportunity for us as a continent to leverage intellectual property to advance industrial development, strengthen public health through local pharmaceutical production, and reduce over-reliance on imports,” Mene said.
The AfCFTA Secretary-General further noted that all AfCFTA protocols had now been concluded and that the focus had shifted fully to implementation. “We have to accelerate implementation and deepen collaboration with the private sector because it is the private sector that will ensure that we see the benefits of this Agreement.”
The award reflects the growing convergence between Africa’s trade and intellectual property agendas and reaffirms the commitment of both institutions to deepen collaboration in promoting innovation, industrialisation and the effective implementation of the AfCFTA Intellectual Property Rights Protocol as key drivers of Africa’s economic transformation.
For more information contact: Maluchukwu Mbamalu Esq., Head of the Secretariat, All Africa Intellectual Property Summit 2026
Email: africaipsummit@it-rc.org Whatsapp: +234 818 038 1825 Website: www.africaipsummit.com
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