Published: October 26, 2026
MONROVIA — Africa’s continental free trade pact will not reach farmers, small businesses, or young entrepreneurs until the continent rewrites the laws that still block cross-border trade, Liberia’s top law reform official told African law students in Addis Ababa.
By Alphanso G. Kalama
“Signing an agreement is not the same as implementing it. Declaring an ambition is not the same as delivering its benefits,” said Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah, executive chairperson of Liberia’s Law Reform Commission and president of the West African Bar Association.
Varmah gave the keynote address at the annual conference of the Federation of African Law Students, held under the theme “Beyond Borders, Beyond Barriers.” He told the students the African Continental Free Trade Area is one of the most ambitious economic initiatives in modern African history, but that its success will not be measured by signatures.
The agreement entered into force in 2019, and trading under it began in January 2021.
Varmah said the pact’s impact will show when farmers reach wider markets, small businesses join regional supply chains and young tech entrepreneurs serve customers across borders. For that to happen, he said, Africa needs effective laws, capable institutions and reliable ways to resolve disputes. That makes the AfCFTA a legal reform agenda as much as a trade agreement, he said, and one that requires a new breed of lawyers.
“We need lawyers who understand customs law, international investment, competition policy, commercial arbitration, digital trade, intellectual property, and the legal dimensions of emerging technologies,” he said.
He asked why African entrepreneurs still face regulatory and customs barriers when trading with neighboring countries. National sovereignty must be respected, he said, but it should not be used as an excuse for isolation. He said Africa won political independence, building the Organization of African Unity in 1963 and the African Union in 2002, but that its economic liberation is incomplete.
Outdated legislation and inconsistent regulations discourage investment and obstruct trade, Varmah said, and law reform means removing those obstacles and creating legal certainty. He called for harmonizing laws across Africa through common principles and mutual recognition, while respecting different legal traditions and constitutional arrangements.
He said digital platforms, financial technology and artificial intelligence offer large opportunities for African businesses but raise complex legal questions on data protection and consumer rights.
Varmah urged African law faculties to strengthen training in trade and technology law. He challenged the federation to set up research networks, run AfCFTA moot court competitions and produce policy proposals on economic integration.
He told the students to master the purpose of law, think beyond national borders, embrace law reform and innovation, defend integrity and the rule of law, and begin serving Africa immediately.
The conference brought together law students from across the continent, African Union representatives, members of the judiciary and academics.
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