I.A.M - Magazine - Page 32
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The AfDB finances KEY
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS—
such as railways, energy
interconnections, digital networks,
and TRANSNATIONAL HIGHWAYS
View of the Awoshie-Pokuase Road Interchange in Accra Ghana.
goal of these RECs is to implement the Abuja Treaty,
which later informed the African Union Constitutive Act
that emphasizes regional integration. This vision
continues in the African Union's Agenda 2063, which
prioritizes continental-level regional integration as a key
objective.
The AfCFTA, on the other hand, operates at the
continental level, harmonizing trade and economic
policies across all RECs. Think of RECs as state
governments handling local integration, while AfCFTA
acts as the federal government ensuring consistency
across the entire continent. For example, while the East
African Community allows relatively free movement
among its members, SADC still requires visas for African
travelers. The AfCFTA works to resolve such
discrepancies to facilitate seamless trade and
movement across Africa.
The issue of regional integration is not new, it was a
key topic at the establishment of the OAU by Africa's
liberation and founding leaders, why has it not been
achieved over 60 years on?
Since the establishment of the OAU, several major
hindrances have slowed Africa's regional integration
efforts. Key challenges include the colonial legacy of
fragmented borders, which fostered nationalism and
complicated cross-border cooperation, as well as
persistentPERSISTENTÒ
political POLITICALÒ
instabilityINSTABILITYÒ
and conflicts
that
ANDÒ CON¹ICTSÒ
THATÒ
undermined trust and divert focus away from
integration. I would also add protectionist policies which
are driven by national interests;
inefficiencies
and policy
Inadequate
INEFµCIENCIESÒ
ANDÒ incoherence.
POLICYÒ INCOHERENCEÒ
)NADEQUATEÒ
infrastructure has physically limited connectivity
between countries, making trade and collaboration
difficult. Addressing
these challenges requires renewed
DIFµCULTÒ!DDRESSINGÒTHESEÒCHALLENGESÒREQUIRESÒRENEWEDÒ
political commitment, institutional harmonization,
strategic investments in infrastructure and stronger
governance.
Just to add to that last point, how does political
governance and balancing national interests affect
the collective goals of regional integration?
In the push for democratic leadership and democratization,
multiparty politics in Africa has deepened divisions
within countries, resulting in heightened civil unrest and
a shift of focus inward, away from regional and collective
objectives.
Political
instability
often
compels
governments to prioritize national security, diverting
resources to control dissent rather than promoting
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