Wamkele Mene Honoured for AfCFTA Implementation Push

The award, presented by African Newspage and the All Africa Intellectual Property Summit, acknowledges Mene’s role in codifying regional trade ties. Sand Mba Kalu, leading the delegation, credited Mene with transforming the continent’s trade framework into a functional engine for economic cooperation. This acknowledgement arrives as the organization pivots toward its next phase: full implementation.

Mene framed intellectual property not merely as a legal necessity but as a vital instrument for industrial sovereignty. He noted that the AfCFTA Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights serves as a catalyst for local pharmaceutical manufacturing and home-grown innovation, aiming to curb Africa’s reliance on external supply chains. With negotiations on all AfCFTA protocols now concluded, the focus shifts to private sector integration. Preparations are already underway for the seventh All Africa Intellectual Property Summit in Nairobi, scheduled for November 2026, to further align these rights with the broader goals of Agenda 2063.