Wamkele Mene is an influential figure in the field of international trade and economic integration in Africa. He is the first Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a flagship project of the African Union aimed at creating a single market for goods and services across the African continent. He was appointed to this position in March 2020, with the mission of overseeing the implementation of this ambitious trade agreement which, once fully operational, will be the largest free trade area in the world in terms of participating countries.