AUDA-NEPAD Boosts African Trade with One-Stop Border Posts on 25th Anniversary

The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) is celebrating its 25th anniversary by highlighting significant progress in facilitating intra-continental trade through its One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) programme. Initially launched in 2009 with a single crossing at Chirundu between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the initiative has expanded to include 32 operational border posts across southern Africa, with an additional 85 currently under development. This expansion has drastically improved the movement of goods and people, reducing average border waiting times by 42% and up to 98% in specific cases. During the silver jubilee celebrations, AUDA-NEPAD Chief Executive Nardos Bekele-Thomas emphasized the agency's journey from continental visions to measurable realities. She described the milestone as a testament to African resolve and self-sufficiency, noting that it reflects a deliberate political choice made by African leaders in 2001 to drive development from within. The agency continues to invite member states and partners to collaborate in building a self-reliant Africa, showcasing the OSBP programme as a key achievement in fostering African-led growth and economic integration over the past quarter-century.