APD 2025: Majority Leader urges greater regulatory harmonisation to drive Africa’s economic integration

Majority Leader of Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has stressed the importance of regulatory harmonisation across the continent to propel economic integration.

He made this call on the final day of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2025, during the ‘Presentation of Outcome Document: Two-Day Policy and Business Leaders’ Dialogues’ at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

He argued that the risks and costs associated with poor regulatory alignment were deeply felt in various sectors globally, but were particularly damaging to Africa.

Ayariga noted that while the issue was often discussed in the context of pharmaceuticals, the challenges of inconsistent regulations affected other vital industries such as energy, power, operational technology, and telecommunications.

Citing remarks by Ralph Mupita, the CEO of MTN, Ayariga emphasised the need for African countries to standardize operational and financing expectations for new projects. “Mupita has long advocated for this standardisation, saying it would help venture capitalists make investment decisions with greater ease and certainty,” he further cited.

He added that as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) moves forward, State Parties would need to decide whether to pursue full integration through regulatory harmonisation or take a more passive approach focused solely on cooperation.

He argued that for Africa to be truly connected, especially in infrastructure, harmonisation and standardisation of policies and laws at the national level were imperative.

Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Greater Accra

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