The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has announced the first three countries that will pioneer the implementation of a new initiative called ADAPT,” which aims to support and integrate continental cross-border trade through digital infrastructure. Accordingly, Kenya in East Africa, Morocco in North Africa, and Nigeria in West Africa have been selected to jointly launch this continental digital trade route as a pilot phase.
The announcement, made on May 19, 2026, in Accra, Ghana, marks a historic milestone as the Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) transitions from the level of policy and aspiration into practical implementation.
According to the AfCFTA Secretariat, these three pilot countries were selected following a rigorous and detailed two-stage evaluation process. The assessment primarily measured the countries’ level of ratification of the continental agreement, alignment with legal frameworks, readiness for digital public infrastructure, private sector engagement, and co-financing capabilities.
The geographical distribution of this program was also intentional. Representing regions with distinct regulatory frameworks, payment structures, and trade corridors, these three countries offer an excellent opportunity to test and validate the ADAPT system across diverse and challenging environments. Once this pilot phase is successfully completed, the system is expected to scale gradually across all other AfCFTA member states.
The “ADAPT” project was first launched in November 2025 with the primary objective of replacing paper-based processes and fragmented continental systems—which cause high costs and delays in trade between African countries—with a modern digital foundation. This program encompasses critical digital sectors, including establishing secure digital identities to verify the authenticity of traders and companies, and deploying integrated payment rails for fast and reliable financial transfers between nations.
Furthermore , it aims to facilitate seamless interoperable data exchange across different countries’ technological networks and digitize trade documentation to eliminate paper forms and streamline border control and customs procedures. This infrastructure is built on “TWIN,” an open digital trade interoperability stack, and the AfCFTA Secretariat is collaborating with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the IOTA Foundation—the creators of the proprietary blockchain technology—to bring this ambitious project to life.
According to the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, Wamkele Mene, when the continental free trade area is fully operational, it has the potential to boost intra-African exports by up wakes of 80 percent, which is estimated to generate up to 450 billion US dollars in additional revenue for the continent by 2035. The Secretary-General further noted that through initiatives like ADAPT, digital public infrastructures embracing digital identity, payment systems, and data exchange will serve as the primary engines to reduce trade costs, expand market access, and create a more competitive, inclusive, and robust African free trade market. Additionally, Dominik Schiener, Co-founder and Chairman of the IOTA Foundation, the project’s blockchain partner, stated that Africa has a unique opportunity to leapfrog legacy, paper-based trade systems and transition directly into a futuristic digital trust infrastructure.
Beyond traditional payment infrastructures, it has been indicated that this initiative will open doors to new digital currency options in the future. The AfCFTA Secretariat stated that while there is currently no specific official currency plan, ADAPT will create a favorable environment for the future utilization of digital currencies like stablecoins. Currently, “ADAPT Country Implementation Forums” have been established in each pilot nation, and the first phase of work will focus on linking digital identity systems and integrating payment corridors.
This digital trade movement aligns with other broader technological efforts currently unfolding across the African continent. For instance, a recent report by the Milken Institute urged African manufacturers to widely adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI), while the expansion of the ACIX internet exchange center in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is cited as further proof of the continent’s journey toward an integrated, shared digital infrastructure.
