Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva has called on member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to accelerate regional trade integration, eliminate barriers to trade and strengthen industrialisation to build more resilient economies.

He made the call on October 22 while addressing the 25th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he represented President Paul Kagame.

The summit is being held under the theme “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”

In his speech, Nsengiyumva said member states must move beyond commitments and focus on implementing measures that facilitate trade across the region.

He called for renewed efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers, simplify customs procedures, improve transparency in trade regulations, harmonise processes and strengthen mechanisms for resolving trade related challenges among member states.

“In an increasingly competitive global economy, no country can fully realise these ambitions in isolation. We need to deepen our integration, pool our strengths, and develop a regional market that enables our people and businesses to thrive,” he said.

Nsengiyumva also emphasised the need to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying COMESA has a critical role to play in advancing Africa’s broader integration agenda.

He said stronger regional integration would enable countries across the continent to exchange goods and services more seamlessly.

The Prime Minister further called for increased and sustainable investment, urging member states to strengthen cross border investment promotion and facilitation, improve access to finance and establish partnerships that connect businesses with opportunities across the regional bloc.

He also highlighted industrialisation as a key driver of productive employment, economic diversification and reduced dependence on imported products, including agricultural commodities and manufactured goods.

Nsengiyumva urged countries to place greater emphasis on developing regional value chains in sectors where they have complementary strengths and significant growth potential.

On digital transformation, he said technology could help overcome longstanding barriers to trade and economic participation by simplifying cross-border transactions, modernising customs administration, improving access to market information and easing the movement of goods, services and people.

Rwanda, he said, remains committed to contributing to COMESA’s digital transformation and advancing a more connected and inclusive regional market.

He further urged member states to seize the opportunities offered by deeper integration amid global political and economic uncertainty.

“Our purpose has never been integration for its own sake. It is about the power we gain when we stand together, a strength far greater than the sum of our individual parts, and it is about recognising that the divisions and barriers we allow to persist come at a cost to us all,” he said.