The second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2021) has ended in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with a collective commitment to ensure that the economic stimulation triggered by the event translates into the continued strengthening of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking during the closing ceremony of IATF 2021 at the Durban International Convention Centre, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chairman of the IATF 2021 Advisory Council and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, expressed his gratitude to the KwaZulu-Natal Province for successfully hosting IATF 2021, and fully bringing the vision of the AfCFTA to life in a tangible and measurable way.
“It is no mean feat to have secured seven sitting presidents for the opening ceremony who stayed for hours during the entire programme,” said Chief Obasanjo. “Thank you immensely for all you have done to make sure this event takes place,” he added, promising to meet everyone in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2023.