Bangladesh, Nov. 17 -- The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents the most ambitious attempt in Africas modern history to knit the continent into a coherent, competitive economic bloc. More than a trade agreement, it is a structural blueprint for transforming Africa from a fragmented patchwork of markets into the worlds largest single free trade area – unifying 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. Its promise lies not only in lowering tariffs or increasing trade flows, but in reshaping Africas position within the global economic order.

Yet as transformative as AfCFTA is for Africa, its implications extend well beyond the continent. The bloc is emerging as a new frontier for i...