Trade has long been recognized as playing an important role in the economic growth of states.  Africa lags behind other regions and has struggled to participate meaningfully in world trade.  In the past decade, Africa’s participation in world trade has been on average around 5% of world trade. The regional picture is not any different, intra-Africa trade remains insignificant, around 10%, compared to the 70% , 50% 52% and26% in intra-regional trade that has been achieved by Europe, North America, Asia and South America. 

The Chair of the AU, Moussa Faki Mahamat stated; “Today is a historic day for Africa. In 1963, the founders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had a vision of creating an African Common Market. The start of trading under the African continental free trade are today is an operational start towards the African Common Market. It has been a long journey of focus, determination and resilience.”  

Successful implementation of the African Free Trade Agreement, will require governments and business leaders across Africa to commit to clear plans and consistent action to maximize its offering. Without adequate roads, the right equipment for customs at the border to facilitate the fast and efficient transit of goods; the infrastructure; the manufacturing capacity, the skills to propel trade and the payments system to support trade, it reduces the impact and effectiveness of the agreement. In this webinar, we seek to interrogate the challenges and prospects of African economic integration.

Specific Objectives of Project

• To identify, mobilize and build the capacity of  20 households, mostly the youth, women and the elderly farmers into guinea fowl production.

• To conduct annual vaccination against Newcastle Disease and deworming against internal parasites in rural chickens for 5000 households in two communities of Yua and Sirigu.
• To provide direct support to 20 women, girls and physically challenged people in guinea fowl rearing by providing 20 live guinea fowl keets (name for chicks) to raise to maturity.
• To procure vaccines and veterinary drugs for vaccination against Newcastle Disease

Presentation by John Recha, PhD'11, Scientist, Climate-Smart Agriculture and Policy, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), East Africa

October 21, 2021 @ 2:40pm

The general objectives of the agreement are to:

• create a single market, deepening the economic integration of the continent
• establish a liberalised market through multiple rounds of negotiations
• aid the movement of capital and people, facilitating investment
• move towards the establishment of a future continental customs union
• achieve sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development, gender equality and structural transformations within member states
• enhance competitiveness of member states within Africa and in the global market
• encourage industrial development through diversification and regional value chain development, agricultural development and food security, and 
• resolve challenges of multiple and overlapping memberships