The African Continental Free Trade Area : using political will to map and identify factors that Influence its implementation

Abstract

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a cornerstone of the African integration project because it is a flagship project of the African Union and Africa Agenda 2063 that seeks to combine African economies into one single continental market that will potentially amount to US$4 trillion. It is inherently linked to the values espoused by the Abuja Treaty which provides the framework for African integration. Therefore, if AfCFTA is properly implemented, it could potentially be a solution to Africa’s developmental challenges. The current study assesses the implementation of AfCFTA using unorthodox means. Using systems theory, this study seeks to examine the extent to which there is political will within the system of implementation. It also seeks to uncover the features of AfCFTA beyond its system of implementation. For example, it defines regional integration and free trade and seeks to link this to AfCFTA to uncover what AfCFTA seeks to achieve within the African continent. While there is a certain degree of political will within the African system, many hurdles must still be overcome to ensure that AfCFTA is aggressively implemented.