Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Wednesday that the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will assist the continent in overcoming some of its pressing economic challenges.

Kenyatta said the Africa trade pact which entered into force on Jan. 1, has the potential to accelerate continental integration efforts by promoting people-to-people interactions through trade.

Kenyatta, who was speaking during a meeting with visiting AfCFTA's Secretary-General Wamkele Mene who paid him a courtesy call in Nyeri County in central Kenya, reaffirmed Kenya's commitment to AfCFTA.

Analysts say full implementation of AfCFTA would reshape markets and economies across the region and boost output in the services, manufacturing, and natural resources sectors.

On his part, Mene briefed the Kenyan leader on AfCFTA's road map which prioritizes industrial development, women and the youth, and thanked Kenya for backing his successful bid to lead the Pan-African institution.