Moonshot 2026: Experts call for urgent reforms to unlock intra-African trade {Business Africa}

What happened: At Moonshot 2026 in Lagos, experts called for harmonised regulations and seamless digital payments to boost intra-African trade, as home-grown startups step up while Silicon Valley pulls back. Key numbers: Intra-African trade is below 17 per cent of the continent's total trade, versus more than Why it matters: Adetola Onayemi of Norebase cited regulatory barriers, fragmented financial systems and costly cross-border payments as obstacles, and urged businesses to use the AfCFTA to expose bottlenecks. Weak governance can undermine business environments and investor confidence.

At Moonshot 2026 in Lagos, experts called for harmonised regulations and seamless digital payments to boost intra-African trade, as home-grown startups step up while Silicon Valley pulls back.

Adetola Onayemi of Norebase cited regulatory barriers, fragmented financial systems and costly cross-border payments as obstacles, and urged businesses to use the AfCFTA to expose bottlenecks. Weak governance can undermine business environments and investor confidence.