Ghana, despite hosting the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has low public awareness of the agreement, with only 17% of citizens saying they know about the trade initiative.

A new Afrobarometer African Insights 2026 report found that only 13% of Africans have heard of the AfCFTA, despite growing public support for easier trade and stronger economic cooperation among countries.

The findings reveal a gap between the vision of the trade agreement and public knowledge of the opportunities it is expected to create for businesses, consumers and economies across the continent.

The report found that while awareness remains low, support for the main objective of the AfCFTA is increasing.

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About 62% of Africans surveyed said governments should make it easier to trade with other countries to create economic opportunities, up from 51% recorded five years ago.

Support for freer trade is now the majority position in 32 of the 38 countries covered by the survey.

The report also showed that 66% of Africans want their governments to expand trade relationships globally, while 20% prefer stronger trade within Africa and 8% favour focusing on their immediate regions.

Researchers said the preference for global trade does not conflict with the goals of the AfCFTA, explaining that stronger trade links among African countries are expected to help businesses grow and improve the continent's competitiveness in global markets.

The study further found that Africans facing greater economic difficulties are more likely to support open trade, challenging the idea that economic hardship naturally leads to protectionist policies.

However, Afrobarometer warned that limited public awareness could slow efforts to maximise the benefits of the AfCFTA.

The organisation said governments must invest in stronger public education campaigns to help citizens understand how the agreement can create opportunities, expand markets and support economic growth.

“Despite being one of the most ambitious economic integration initiatives in history, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is barely on the radar of the people it is designed to benefit,” the report stated.

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It added that awareness remains concentrated among highly educated and informed groups, reaching no more than 27% in any single country surveyed.

The report said improving public understanding of the AfCFTA would be critical to ensuring that citizens, especially businesses and entrepreneurs, are able to take advantage of the opportunities created by the agreement.

DR/MA