Regional Integration In Africa Research Articles

Constructing African Union Law and Rethinking Supranationalism in African Integration: What Lessons from the European Union?

Abstract This Article examines the development and scope of African Union (AU) law and its role as a facilitator of and contributor to regional integration in Africa. The Article addresses several interlinked questions relating, but not limited, to the sources and foundations of AU law, the role of AU policy organs in the making of AU law, the extent to which EU law presents a comparative framework or useful precedent for analysing and understanding AU law, and the role of supranationalism in the economic and political integration of its member states and in the development of AU law. The Article argues that it is necessary to amend the AU Constitutive Act and other relevant AU legal instruments to enhance the supranational authority and legislative powers of the AU. It concludes that AU supranationalism needs to be rethought, but it need not uncritically mimic the EU’s approach to supranationalism in every respect.

Effects of free trade on export efficiency of COMESA member-states

Regional integration in Africa is deepening, and the existing regional groupings are making frantic efforts to remove barriers to trade. One way in which trade among countries can be promoted is through the establishment of free trade areas with member-states. However, regulatory quality that supports international trade in most African countries is exceptionally low. This study investigates the effect of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) free trade area (FTA) on the bilateral export efficiency of member-states over the period 1997–2021. The results obtained using a stochastic frontier specification of the gravity model and panel data of 16 exporting COMESA member-states show a positive effect of the COMESA free trade area on export efficiency. In addition, the study finds regulatory quality to have a positive impact on export efficiency. Controlling for regulatory quality, the results also show that the FTA stimulates export efficiency. Hence, non-FTA COMESA members ought to contemplate joining the FTA in order to expand their respective exports with other member-states to their maximum potential.

The strategic significance of Ethiopia's hydroelectric energy exports on Horn of Africa regional integration

ABSTRACT This article seeks to explore the compelling strategic impact of Ethiopia's hydroelectric energy exports on the regional integration of the Horn of Africa. The study employed a qualitative research approach that impeccably integrated primary and secondary data sources. The study shades light on the extensive implications of Ethiopia’s energy exports on socio-economic, political, and security dimensions. Economically, these exports foster a sense of mutual reliance among neighboring states, pooling resources for collective development, expanding regional markets, and driving industrialization. Socially, the initiative cultivates invaluable people-to-people relationships among communities with interconnected fates and destinies. From a security standpoint, it actively engages in diplomatic strategies to avert water-related tensions and emphasizes cooperative approaches. Politically, the exportation of hydroelectric energy is poised to significantly redefine the existing power dynamics in the Horn of Africa, sparking transformative collaboration and integration at a regional level. Furthermore, Ethiopia's hydroelectric energy will decisively reshape the competitive landscape related to shared water resources in the Nile River basin. However, the realization of these initiatives hinges on effective reservoir management and responsible hydroelectric energy exports.

Overview on the African Regional Processes

Regional integration in Africa is deemed as fundamental by many of the continent’s policymakers and as a result, there is growing support for regional integration in Africa amongst the conti-nent's international development partners and African elites. The success of regional integration, development & cooperation and social policy are dependent on multilateral regional associations of nations. However, little progress has been made, and one of the challenges and criticisms of the institutions’ efforts towards achieving the African Integration Agenda, is overlapping mem-bership. The paper examines the AU and RECs structures and role as regional integration bod-ies. Then, the research discusses and evaluates the challenges, and these regional bodies encoun-ter six decades later. The research asserts that genuine progress towards deeper and swifter inte-gration can only be attained through the active support and participation of Member States.

An economic project of regional integration in Africa

An economic project of regional integration in Africa

The Challenges of Regional Integration and Effective Implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy in Africa

The paper is an investigation of the challenges of regional integration in Africa and their effects on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) policy. The major objective of the paper is to proffer solutions to the challenges for the effective actualization of the policy. The assumptions of the neo-liberal theory were used to support the AfCFTA initiative to promote economic growth and development in Africa. The data used to advance the argument were obtained from secondary sources of data collection. The study finds that language barrier, multiple currencies, porosity of borders, foreign interference, political instability and insecurity, poor human development, over-lapping of membership of sub-regional organizations, poor state of infrastructure, and state-centric nature of integration initiatives are some of the core challenges hindering the effective execution of the AfCFTA policy. The study recommends that the African Union (AU) should intensify effort at realizing a single currency policy for Africa; design comprehensive regional security architecture to include high technological surveillance, joint air and ground border patrol among member states of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to address trans-border crimes and insecurity. There should also be institutionalization of counterpart funding among AU member-states for infrastructural development; and encouragement of private and civil society participation in the integration initiative, among others. In concludes that if the challenges identified are not effectively addressed, it will be very difficult for the AU to successfully realize the objectives of the AfCFTA policy.

African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (Afcfta) And The Challenges Of Regional Integration In Africa

The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) represents a significant milestone in Africa's pursuit of regional integration and economic development. Envisioned as a pan-African initiative, the AfCFTA aims to establish a single market for goods and services, promote intra-African trade, and foster economic growth across the continent. This paper examines the challenges of regional integration in Africa and explores the potential benefits of the AfCFTA Agreement in addressing these challenges. This study uses qualitative research methods, with secondary data from scholarly publications, journal articles, reports from international organisations and literature studies that were thematically analysed. The results of the study shows that the challenges of integration in Africa are mostly driven by disparities in economic development and industrial capacities among African nations, persistent trade barriers, non-tariff obstacles, weak institutional frameworks, the paradox of sovereignty, and inadequate infrastructure. The study also reveals that the adoption of the AfCFTA Agreement in 2019, has brought more African nations involved in addressing these challenges of economic integration, and fostering deep cooperation within the continent. This paper concludes that the AfCFTA Agreement has the potential to be a transformative force in advancing regional integration and economic prosperity in Africa. However, a pragmatic approach is continually needed to address these challenges of integration. This paper thus recommends fostering inclusive growth and economic diversification through targeted policies that can address economic disparities among African nations. Also, emphasising the inclusion of marginalised sectors, such as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and informal traders, which is essential for maximising the AfCFTA's potential benefits and fostering sustainable economic growth. 
 
 Keywords: AfCFTA, Africa, Economic Integration, Regional Integration, Trade barriers.

The Impact of Transport Infrastructure Development in Africa on the Development of Regional Integration in Africa

This paper, combined with scholars' current discussions on the importance of regional integration for national economic development, this paper focuses on showing that poor transportation hinders the import and export trade and the introduction of integration-specific talents in Africa, and that high-quality transportation infrastructure can improve trade facilitation and promote cross-regional trade, investment and the formation of a unified market on the African continent. It shows that good transportation can facilitate the development of regional economic integration in Africa and is an enabler of regional economic integration.

The African continental free trade area: the road ahead for the continent’s bold integration project

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the road ahead for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), focusing on its potential opportunities and challenges. It is intended to help the AfCFTA’s effective implementation by highlighting the major areas of intervention for State Parties.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyses relevant economic, political and legal research sources on regional integration in Africa and offers some personal views of the author to evaluate the past, present and future of the AfCFTA.FindingsThe paper shows that the AfCFTA can support its State Parties’ industrialization and diversification, better integrate micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to regional value chains, create jobs, encourage sustainable investments and help its State Parties have common positions on global issues and achieve development. But, it also shows the challenges facing the AfCFTA, which include infrastructure gap, revenue and job losses, overlapping membership of State Parties in Regional Economic Communities, cumbersome customs systems, difficulty to cross African borders, fledgling MSMEs and inadequate technical capacity on trade policy. Accordingly, it recommends that State Parties continuously take various actions to address these challenges and maximize the multiple benefits of the AfCFTA.Originality/valueThe paper provides a comprehensive and up-to-date appraisal of the opportunities and challenges of the AfCFTA, both in the context of the history of regional integration in Africa and the recent global shocks that adversely impacted the continent (COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine).

African regionalism, economic nationalism and the contested politics of social purpose: the East African Community and the ‘new developmentalism’

AbstractOver the last decade, a new developmentalism has taken root across Africa, centred on promoting local production and industrialisation. One unintended consequence of this has been the proliferation of economically nationalist policy measures that have increasingly come into tension with the aims of regional integration in Africa. This article sets out to offer insights as to why these tensions are emerging by focusing on the East African Community (EAC) and the growing trend of economic nationalism among its members. Contrary to what rationalist and structuralist accounts might presume, this article argues that this rise in economic nationalism is instead reflective of a weakening of the discursive imperative – or social purpose – that had initially converged various actors around the EAC's integration agenda when revived in 2000. While drawing from the EAC's experience, it concludes by highlighting a broader legitimacy dilemma facing African regional organisations within this ‘new developmentalism’.

The Dispute Settlement Mechanism under the African Continental Free Trade Area as a Preserve of Elites – A Missed Opportunity for Regional Integration in Africa

The Dispute Settlement Mechanism under the African Continental Free Trade Area as a Preserve of Elites – A Missed Opportunity for Regional Integration in Africa

Institutional Quality, Foreign Direct Investment, and Regional Integration: Empirical Evidence From CEN-SAD

This study investigates the institutional quality effects on the foreign direct investment (FDI)–regional integration nexus in the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD). The novelty of our approach extends the regional integration theory in Africa by employing the Africa Regional Integration Index (ARII) and utilizes a dynamic panel data model based on the one-step system generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) estimation to explore the institutional quality effects on the relationship between FDI location advantages and inflows and dimensions of regional integration. Our study highlights macroeconomic integration as the strongest indicator of regional integration as well as the most crucial determinant of FDI in CEN-SAD. We also discovered that FDI inflows into the lower-middle income countries (LMICs) were only slightly higher than in low-income countries (LICs). Our results infer that institutional reforms augment FDI location advantages and enhance FDI inflows irrespective of the level of integration in the Community.

Nigeria and the AfCFTA as a two‐level game

AbstractThis paper makes the case for analysing the political economy of regional integration in Africa to help address the implementation gap that affects African economic integration. It builds on the “two‐level games” model of inter‐state negotiations developed by Putnam (International Organisation, 42, 1988, 427) and the “five lenses” approach to political economy analysis proposed by Byiers et al. (African Economic Brief, 6, 2015, 1). The paper then applies the approach to Nigeria's engagement with AfCFTA negotiations, and identifies potential constraints, challenges and opportunities in relation to the implementation of the AfCFTA by Nigeria. At the continental level, Nigeria's power and aspirations to continental leadership allowed and inspired it to play a prominent role in the AfCFTA negotiations. However, within‐country dynamics in Nigeria slowed the signing of the AfCFTA Agreement and the same may yet undermine its implementation. More broadly the Nigerian case study illustrates the kinds of actors and factors that will shape how other African states implement the AfCFTA. In this regard political economy analysis, and in particular, the methodological approach developed here, can help understand the interests, incentives and agency at play in domestic contexts.

Catalysing regional integration in Africa: The role of infrastructure

AbstractNow, more than ever, infrastructure integration in Africa has become critical to recalibrating Africa's growth strategy toward increased intraregional trade, especially in an era of global isolationism, protectionism and supply chain disruptions from COVID and the war in Ukraine. This paper investigates the extent to which infrastructure development and integration can act as a catalyst for trade, innovation and income improvements in Africa. Using panel data analysis, we show that the infrastructure sector with the strongest multiplier effect on economic activity is the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, followed by the transport sector, the electricity sector and, last, the water sector. This ranking of the catalytic role of infrastructure sectors should guide policy prioritisation on infrastructure investments to accelerate growth and unlock the potential of the AfCFTA. Benchmarking exercises on infrastructures' catalytic role in the regional economic communities (RECs) show that infrastructure has had the strongest impact on economic outcomes in the East African Community bloc, making the EAC a type of flying‐geese RECs for other regions to emulate.

Rethinking regional integration in Africa for inclusive and sustainable development: Introduction to the special issue

AbstractThis article is an introduction to this Special Issue on Rethinking in Regional Integration in Africa which is based on a collaborative research project, implemented by African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), the leading economic capacity building institution in Africa, and funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). This project is very timely given the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which came into force on 01 January 2021. In this introduction, we first provide a brief background on regional integration in Africa. We next describe the AERC project and the process of selection of the papers and then provide a quick summary of the ten published papers and their contributions.

Regional integration in Africa: Proposals for an Africa-wide payment system

Regional integration remains a priority in Africa. Fuelled by the call of Pan-African leaders including Kwame Nkrumah and the recognition of the potential within the continent to transform intra-African trade and achieve global competitiveness, the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was conceived. The African Union, in collaboration with the Africa Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM), has accordingly proposed the Pan-African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS). This system is expected to facilitate crossborder financial flows in local currencies and in real-time across the region, address the multiplicity and inconvertibility of currencies, reduce transaction costs, and decrease the use of correspondent banks. The authors analyse the necessity of getting this system right, alluding to the theory of developmental regionalism. The article concludes with recommendations that could make this unified payment system formidable enough to enable direct and seamless transactions between Amari in Addis and Wale in Lagos.

Tension between state-level industrial policy and regional integration in Africa

How does industrial policy currently interact with Regional Economic Communities in Africa? This article examines the tension between Regional Economic Communities and state-level industrial policy in Africa through two main problems: (1) how state industrial policies undermine Regional Economic Communities through a crisis of implementation and (2) how Regional Economic Communities undermine industrial policies through crisis of coordination. In discussing these issues, using indicative examples from the regions, especially the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC), the article brings together industrial policy and regional economic integration in Africa.

Exposing the Factors Militating Against the African Union Led Regional Integration in Africa

Exposing the Factors Militating Against the African Union Led Regional Integration in Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic and regional integration in Africa: Implications of the responses from ECOWAS and SADC

ABSTRACT The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to regional bodies across the world. It resulted in a synchronised disruption of the world economy and regional integration agendas, and the re-emergence of nationalism and protectionism. The response to this health emergency differed across regions as regional and local impact of the disease varied. There were coordinated responses to the health crisis by some regional bodies while others saw more local and nationalistic reactions. The argument of this article is that the unilateral closure of borders and the imposition of travel restrictions showed protectionist inclinations and an unwillingness to cede authority to regional bodies. Inspired by the projected implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of regional integration, this article examined the response of both ECOWAS and SADC to the COVID-19 health emergency and considers the implications for the quest for regional integration.

Regional Integration in Africa: The Role of African Union in African Developmental Process

Regional Integration in Africa: The Role of African Union in African Developmental Process