Nigerian singer and entrepreneur Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, has urged African leaders and institutions to remove barriers that limit trade, movement, and innovation across the continent.
Speaking at the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogue, held under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate, Trade”, Mr Eazi said Africa must move from ideas to action if it is to fully benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Drawing from his experience as a businessman, he said he has spent the last four years of his career focusing on solving problems that make it difficult for Africans to do business across borders.
“In the last four years of my career, I’ve spent that as an entrepreneur solving the problem that exists, solving the frictional issue that exists as the roadblock in making Africa borderless,” he said.
Mr Eazi revealed that he has invested in businesses operating in 19 African countries, including a company he described as one of his proudest achievements.
“One of which I’m really proud of is a company that is live in 19 African countries and processes 4 million transactions a day,” he said.
He explained that borders, as they currently operate, create serious challenges for Africans trying to move goods, make payments and comply with regulations.
“Borders as they currently function create friction in movements, in payments, in regulation and in the abilities of small and medium scale enterprises to scale,” he said.
According to him, these challenges affect young people the most, including artists, creators, influencers, women and small business owners who want to improve their lives and contribute to Africa’s development.
He noted, however, that Africans have always found ways to work together across borders, even before colonial rule.
“African cross-border collaboration in economics has started pre-colonialism and has continued even today,” he said.
Mr Eazi said that young Africans, especially those under the age of 35, are less concerned about borders and are already collaborating through technology, business, and creativity.
“The young people under the age of 35, we actually don’t care about borders,” he said. “We do this via collaboration, via the internet, via cross-border collaboration in business and in creativity.”
He described the idea of a borderless Africa as one that has moved from philosophy to necessity.
“The idea of a borderless Africa began as Pan-African philosophy, but today, through regional blocs and the AfCFTA, it has become an economic necessity and an emerging reality,” he said.
Mr Eazi pointed out that while agreements and frameworks are already in place, the real challenge lies in implementation.
“What remains is the important work of implementation,” he said, adding that making Africa borderless does not mean weakening national sovereignty.
“We are not speaking about removing nations or weakening sovereignty. We are speaking of enabling the commitments already made and allowing people to move, trade, and build within Africa more efficiently, securely, and lawfully,” he explained.
He said a more connected Africa would help small businesses grow into continental champions, using his own companies as an example.
“A more connected Africa is how SMEs grow into continental champions. That is how my companies have grown, starting from one African country to existing in 19 countries and counting.”
According to him, stronger integration will also allow women and youth to fully participate in the single market and improve Africa’s position in the global economy.
Calling for unity in action, Mr Eazi said Africans must work together to remove legal barriers holding the continent back. “When Africa moves together, we do not lose strength. We multiply it,” he said.
He highlighted the economic potential of the AfCFTA, describing it as one of the largest free trade areas in the world, bringing together countries with a combined GDP of over $3 trillion.
“If we make Africa borderless, Africa becomes unstoppable,” he said.
Mr Eazi announced a new music collaboration with a Ghanaian artist, describing it as an example of Pan-African cooperation.
“Today I just released a new song with a Ghanaian artist,” he said. “It’s called That Way.”
“Make Africa borderless now.”
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