ATII launches tech-driven push to unlock $450bn Intra-African Trade

BY MOTOLANI OSENI

The African Technology and Innovation Institutes (ATII) is set to drive a technology-led industrial revolution in Africa through its upcoming inaugural summit of its flagship initiative, the African Industrial Forum (AIF).

The event, billed for Thursday, July 10, 2025, the virtual forum will convene policymakers, industry titans, academics, and youth leaders to accelerate Africa’s transformation into a global manufacturing powerhouse through smart technologies.

The group was founded by Nigeria’s Professor Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua, the world’s first Black woman to earn a PhD in Cybernetics, even as the forum aims to aims to harness opportunities like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), projected to unlock $450 billion in intra-African trade by 2035.

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The event is themed ‘Africa’s Future: Shaping Global Industries Through Smart Manufacturing, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence’, and it’s expected to build on recent momentum, including Nigeria’s 67% surge in manufacturing FDI ($1.59 billion in 2023).

It aims to drive five critical goals: advance smart manufacturing through AI and automation; foster cross-sector collaboration; empower youth for high-tech industrial jobs; mobilise investments in local production ecosystems; and bridge workforce skills gaps.

Speaking on the essence of the summit, the U.S.-based Professor Rose-Margaret called for collaboration, saying, “This is more than a forum—it’s Africa’s call to action. Through unity and innovation, we will build an industrial legacy defined by African ingenuity. Africa’s rise demands sustainable, inclusive growth.

“The AIF Summit unites stakeholders to ensure we become industrial innovators by design, not default. We must connect education to employment, policy to practice, and vision to implementation, empowering our youth to thrive as architects of Africa’s renaissance.”

Speakers lined up for the event include: the executive commissioner, Corporate Services & Administration, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Dr. Kelechi Onyekachi Ofoegbu; Research expert, Dr. Akanimo Odon; head of Component, Social Infrastructure and Energising Development (EnDev) at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Ene Macharm; Cross-Functional AI Agile Product Management strategist, Dr. Edem Wornyo; Tech entrepreneur & co-founder, Adanian Labs, Mr. John Kamara.

The summit marks a strategic leap toward repositioning the continent from consumer to producer in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, addressing manufacturing’s current 10% contribution to continental GDP.

In addition, the July 10 summit will feature a keynote on ‘Africa’s Industrial Renaissance,’ a multi-sector stakeholder panel, and awards honouring pioneers in African industrialisation. ATII’s strategic partners for the event include: Arthur Jarvis University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Adanian Labs, Cross River State Government, Blue Seal, and Sabi Africa Network.

The African Technology and Innovation Institutes (ATII) serve as a crucial knowledge transfer hub, bridging the gap between research and industry for Africa and Indigenous communities. It empowers local innovation by providing tailored support for policy-relevant research in key areas, including Artificial Intelligence, Clean Technology, Climate Resilience, and more.