Minister of Commerce at Loveworld Inc., H.E. Sister Stephanie Oforka, has called on African countries to move beyond discussions about their natural resources and potential and focus on production as the foundation for sustainable economic prosperity.
Speaking at the Global Trade and Investment Forum 2026, she said Africa’s minerals, land, population and natural resources alone could not create wealth unless they were converted into productive economic value.
“Potential itself does not create prosperity. Production and trade create prosperity,” she said.
According to her, Africa must develop a productive, skilled, innovative and trusted population capable of transforming the continent’s resources into globally competitive products and services.
She argued that population size should not be mistaken for economic power, stressing that true economic strength comes from a population that can produce, innovate, create value and build businesses.
She urged African entrepreneurs to move beyond simply consuming products made elsewhere and instead manufacture, process, design and develop solutions for both African and global markets.
“Africa must produce more of what we consume. And beyond that, Africa must produce what the world desires to consume,” she said.
Sister Oforka said the continent could industrialise within the current generation, but this would require deliberate efforts to establish industries, develop technologies, build supply chains, finance businesses and train people.
She described the desired mindset as that of a “production generation” — one that asks what it can build, manufacture and solve rather than simply what it can buy.
She said the Global Trade and Investment Forum was intended to contribute to that transformation by bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, innovators and businesses to create practical economic opportunities.
The forum, she noted, should move beyond discussions to actual business relationships, investments, partnerships and new markets.
“Our desired outcome is not simply that everyone will safely attend the Global Trade and Investment Conference. We want businesses funded. We want investments flowing. We want new markets opened,” she said.
She added that Africa’s future would ultimately be built by people willing to convert the continent’s potential into production.
