Plenary Session 3 & Breakout Sessions Round 2
Session Overview
The mid-morning slot on Day 2 begins with a 30-minute scene-setting plenary on the AfCFTA implementation roadmap, anchored by Dr. Ibrahim Toumba and Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlovu, before delegates split into three parallel breakouts for the remaining hour.
Breakout topics: trade facilitation and customs interoperability; the AfCFTA services protocol and its implications for African knowledge industries; and the protocol on women and youth in trade, with a focus on implementation mechanics rather than the headline commitments already negotiated.
Rapporteurs from each breakout report into the Day 3 Policy Leaders' Dialogue. The structure here mirrors Day 1's breakout architecture: short, parallel, output-driven.
Key Topics
- AfCFTA implementation roadmap (2026–2030)
- Trade facilitation and customs interoperability
- Services protocol and African knowledge industries
- Women and youth in trade — implementation mechanics
Speaker
Dr. Ibrahim Toumba
Programme Director, Sahel Economic Initiative
Dr. Ibrahim Toumba leads the Sahel Economic Initiative's research and policy advisory work on food security, agricultural transformation, and rural livelihoods. He coordinates a network of researchers across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad working on cross-border agricultural value chains.
Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlovu
Head of Trade Policy, Pan-African Trade Institute
Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlovu heads the Trade Policy programme at the Pan-African Trade Institute, where he leads research on AfCFTA implementation, customs reform, and trade-facilitation policy. He has advised five African governments on AfCFTA strategy and offer schedules.