We call on Africa to work together to increase intra-African trade from the current 14% to 50%, matching other regions that trade at between 60% and 70%. Unlocking trade for the 1.4 billion Africans in the continent would triple demand for our goods, products and services. To achieve this, we must remove visa restrictions that block the free movement of people, ideas, and talent. We must also dismantle tariff and non-tariff barriers that have turned our borders into obstacles instead of bridges. We must also stop exporting raw materials and instead add value here at home. This will create jobs, build and keep wealth in Africa. Spoke at the closing ceremony of the 24th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government, Nairobi.(William Samoei Ruto, PhD)