A recent United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) workshop has brought together Libyan and Tunisian entrepreneurs to enhance their competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), focusing on youth- and women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Held from September 9 to 12, the workshop, organised by the ECA North Africa Office in partnership with the Ministries of Economy and Trade of Libya and Tunisia, was titled “Harnessing the Opportunities of the AfCFTA: Strengthening the Capacity of Youth- and Women-Led SMEs in Libya and Tunisia.”
The initiative emphasised digitalisation, access to finance, and adaptation to climate change as key pillars for business growth.
“Our program aimed to equip these businesses with skills that will improve their ability to access finance, use digital technologies, and make the most of the AfCFTA modalities,” said Wafa Aidi, SME project coordinator at ECA. SMEs constitute over 95% of the private sector in Tunisia and Libya, and, according to UN Resident Coordinator in Tunisia Rana Taha, they remain “the backbone of economies,” despite women owning less than 12% of enterprises.
In Libya, SMEs provide approximately 45% of employment outside the oil sector, even amid persistent economic instability.
“These trainings facilitate the transfer of knowledge, networking and the exchange of experiences,” added Abdallah El Jadi, representative of the Libyan Ministry of Economy.
The workshop was structured around three core modules: improving market access and export competitiveness, enhancing financial management and access to finance, and promoting digitalisation alongside climate adaptation strategies.
Tarek Bouhlel, director general of African cooperation at the Tunisian Ministry of Economy and Planning, warned: “Any delay reduces Africa’s chances of fully leveraging its demographic and economic potential in a highly competitive environment.”
This initiative is part of a broader program launched initially in Morocco and extended to Mauritania, Libya, and Tunisia. It aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 5, 8, 9, 12, and 13, focusing on gender equality, inclusive growth, innovation, sustainability, and climate action.
Organisers stressed that empowering SMEs, particularly those led by youth and women, is crucial to transforming the AfCFTA into a driver of continental integration and shared prosperity.
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