Features

The AfCFTA has the power to economically transform Africa, but to succeed it needs to go beyond mere trade liberalisation, says the chief economist at Afreximbank.     Although Africa was far from the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic and has recorded some of the lowest casualty rates, the region…

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has announced the inauguration of a 14-member AfCFTA Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council, which will provide advice on trade integration and transformative industrialization as part of efforts towards the implementation of the AfCFTA.       By Muhammad Usman   Members…

The Independent Continental Youth Advisory Council on the African Continental Free Trade Area (ICOYACA), which seeks to mainstream youth participation in the AfCFTA across the continent, Wednesday hosted the inaugural episode of its online AfCFTA YouthEngage Series.     By Stephen Enoch ICOYACA says the overall aim of the YouthEngage…

The period 2019 – 2021 saw a substantial headway in the implementation of Agenda 2063, with an overall performance of 51%, against 32% scores in 2019.     By Adam Alqali The Second Continental Report on the Implementation of Agenda 2063, the 50-year strategic vision for Africa’s inclusive and sustainable…

A committee that will plan the establishment of an African Education Trust Fund (AETF) has been set up by the Association of African Universities (AAU), alongside the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) and the African Private Sector Summit (APSS).     Stephen Enoch   The fifteen-member committee,…

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) on Tuesday in Brussels, Belgium, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at operationalising tariff schedules and ensuring additional free and efficient movement of goods in Africa.   The MoU was signed by the duo of…

When it comes to the relationship between the European Union and Africa, unfair arrangements have long been skated over for lack of alternatives.        Increasingly unsustainable, these one-sided deals have provoked calls from both sides of the Mediterranean for a partnership of equals. At the EU-Africa Summit, leaders…

The African Women in Media (AWiM), in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is set to launch the African Environment Journalism Programme, underpinned by the African Green Stimulus Programme (AGSP).   AGSP is an innovative, African-led initiative focused on supporting the continent’s sustainable recovery from the socio-economic and environmental impacts…

There’s a widespread view that the African Union – and its bureaucracy – are glorified servants of African governments. This view is supported by scholars and by the media.     But is it accurate? I address this question in a recent article as the organisation marks its 20th anniversary this year. The African…

The Republic of Cabo Verde on Saturday deposited its instrument of ratification for the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), becoming the forty-first state party to ratify the landmark Agreement.     By Adam Alqali   The central Atlantic Ocean island country’s ratification means only 13 of…