Ruto calls for Intra-Africa trade at Japan summit

President William Ruto has urged African leaders to take bold steps to unlock the continent’s economic transformation. Speaking at the TICAD 9 conference in Yokohama, Japan, on the second day of the conference, the President said Africa must trade more within itself to create jobs, expand opportunities, and drive prosperity.He noted that agriculture remains Africa’s greatest untapped engine of growth and called for investment in technology, infrastructure, and finance to turn it into a driver of industrialisation. The President also pushed for reforms in the international financial system, including the establishment of an African Credit Rating Agency, and stressed the need for stronger public-private partnerships to boost development.