24 Nov 2025

Africa must leverage its vast natural wealth and demographic advantages to deliver real value for its people.

Speaking during a courtesy call by the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Gaborone yesterday, President Advocate Duma Boko said Africa was endowed with potential and abundant natural resources, yet those assets were not translating into meaningful benefits for citizens.

President Boko further noted that African countries often operated in isolation along major trade routes, resulting in weak bargaining power and limited access to international markets.

He stressed the need to strengthen infrastructure to connect African economies more effectively, arguing that improved transport and logistics networks would enhance intra-continental trade.

Citing industries such as pharmaceuticals, where timely delivery was crucial, he said better connectivity would support countries in pooling production, coordinating procurement and developing shared industrial capacity.

“However, success will depend on significant investments in resilient infrastructure and improved connectivity,” he said.

President Boko also said African nations had long faced unfair trade dynamics and disputes that placed their economies at a disadvantage.

He therefore called for a more equitable global trading system and urged African countries to work collectively to secure fairer outcomes.

In addition, he outlined Botswana’s strategic push to transform its geographical position from a perceived limitation to an economic advantage.

“Some will say we are landlocked, we say we are land-linked,” he said, positioning Botswana as a future logistics and trans-shipment hub for southern Africa.

President Boko, who further expressed strong support for Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s bid for a second term as WTO Director-General, praised her leadership.

For her part, Dr Okonjo-Iweala commended Botswana’s peaceful and stable environment, saying the country was well placed to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities.

She applauded Botswana’s governance record, noting that stability was a key asset for attracting investment and driving long-term development.

She said her visit underscored the WTO’s recognition of Botswana’s role in international trade and development, while providing the country an opportunity to articulate its priorities ahead of the 14th WTO

Ministerial Conference (MC14) to be held in Cameroon in March 2026. Dr Okonjo-Iweala said her visit formed part of the WTO outreach initiative to selected African nations to discuss preparations and potential outcomes of the MC14.

The conference, she added, was a critical moment for shaping global trade policy and urged that Botswana must ensure that its interests, particularly those concerning Landlocked Developing Countries and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries were well represented. ENDS