- May 23, 2023
- Posted by: AITRC 2
- Categories: Blog, Report
WEEKLY TRADE POLL FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES
MAY 2023
The free movement of goods and people across Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an ambitious and transformative goal. While ongoing work and progress is being made towards implementing the free movement of goods and people under the AfCFTA, it presents numerous opportunities for economic growth and integration; its feasibility depends on various factors and challenges that must be addressed. It may lead to more employment options and higher salaries, opening up more chances for all Africans. The AfCFTA is anticipated to increase African nations’ competitiveness and help 68 million people escape moderate poverty. Additionally, strict entry regulations that make it difficult for Africans to move from one country to another have a negative impact on intra-African trade. Countries will readily access a larger labour market to overcome skills gaps while conducting cross-border trade as more people are able to migrate freely.[1]
The 55-member African Union decided to work toward a borderless Africa with frictionless intracontinental mobility in 2016. The African Union member agreed to prioritise improving regional integration and growth. In order to allow Africans to travel throughout the continent without a visa, the Union produced a single continental passport and first distributed it to state leaders. The endeavour was formalized in the AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons two years later. However, this aspect of integration has been patchy and has largely taken place at the subregional level, with a few tentative gestures toward greater continental freedom of movement. Due in part to the COVID-19 epidemic, the continent’s self-imposed deadlines for implementing the AU passport and establishing unrestricted mobility have passed. Travel restrictions have been removed between specific nations and between specific subregions far more quickly than they have been across the entire continent. Africa is more accurately described as a continent with numerous overlapping subregions that allow varying degrees of free movement, as opposed to a continent-wide free movement zone similar area covering western and central Europe, on which the AU effort was modelled.[2] For example, the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) 2005 Protocol on Facilitation of Movement of Persons aims to gradually remove barriers to the movement of people, products, capital, and services among its 16 member states. Most of its members have not adopted the convention; nonetheless, several SADC countries have negotiated bilateral agreements granting visa exemption on specific grounds. As a result, most citizens can move freely within the region, at least on paper and for a limited time. As of 2018, 80 percent of SADC citizens can travel to other SADC Member States without a visa or receive one on arrival for a stay of up to 90 days. However, administrative processes have been argued to contribute to irregular migration within the SADC region. SADC Member States tend to adopt state-centric perspectives that prioritize territorial integrity over the economic benefits of wider free mobility and migrants that are typically viewed as a threat to individual countries’ economic and national security. Another challenge is the political will, where politicians adopt populist rhetoric to blame migrants for socioeconomic problems, diverting attention away from government failure, laxity, incompetence, and corruption.[3]
WEEKLY TRADE POLLS (THIRD WEEK MAY, 2023)
Figure 1: Mobility of People and Goods Under the AfCFTA
Against this backdrop, Africa International Trade and Commerce Research (AITCR) conducted a weekly trade poll for African countries in order to evaluate public opinion and obtain responses on the feasibility of the free movement of goods and people across Africa under the AfCFTA. Findings from the polls, show that 53 percent of the respondents assert that the free movement of goods and people across Africa under the AfCFTA is “highly feasible”, 40 percent opined that free movement of goods and people across Africa under the AfCFTA is “little feasible” and 7 percent posited that free movement of goods and people across Africa under the AfCFTA is “not feasible”. Thus, the poll confirmed that there is rare hope and reasons to be optimistic about the feasibility of the free movement of goods and people across Africa under the AfCFTA based on the aggregation of popular opinions from the poll.
The following are some highlights from the literature and desk review:
- Removing restrictions to Africans’ migration across numerous African countries’ borders would be a big step toward achieving the continental plan Agenda.
- The African Union lacks administrative, personnel, and financial resources to promote and implement the free movement agreement with key stakeholders such as the media, governments, and civil society.
- Many African countries see unrestricted movement as a potential security risk. Religious extremists and separatist groups have committed violent acts and destroyed public and private property across the continent, often using porous borders to transport weaponry and fighters from one country to another.
Given this context, this poll looked at efforts to improve intra-African mobility. While a basis for a borderless Africa exists, its actualization is still work-in-progress, and nations must implement bold reforms to realize the African Union’s commitments. Notably, the European Union have supported measures such as the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme to enhance cooperation in higher education between African countries in support of intra-African mobility. This effort aims to promote long-term development and alleviate poverty in Africa. The implementation of the free trade agreement is one step toward a more interconnected African continent, but analysts broadly believe that its influence will be limited unless workers, families, and other Africans have greater liberty of movement.[4]
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS:
- AfCFTA Secretariat must emphasize the importance of continental-wide free movement to regional integration and cooperation among African countries.
- AfCFTA states party need to invest in infrastructure development, including transportation, telecommunications, and digital connectivity, to support trade and movement of goods and people.
- AfCFTA state party should strengthen institutional capacity at the regional and national levels to coordinate and monitor the implementation of free movement provisions.
- Engaging stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, civil society, and communities, to raise awareness, address concerns, and foster support for free movement initiatives.
- Conduct comprehensive impact assessments to understand the socioeconomic implications of free movement and develop appropriate policies and programs to address any potential challenges.
It’s important to note that while the free movement of goods and people across Africa under the AfCFTA is an ambitious goal, its feasibility depends on addressing various factors and challenges. These include strong political will, infrastructure development, institutional capacity, policy harmonization, and addressing challenges related to diverse economies and security concerns are critical for its successful implementation. However, the specific protocols and policy recommendations may evolve and be refined over time as African countries continue to negotiate and work towards the successful implementation of free movement under the AfCFTA.
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[1] The African Continental Free Trade Area (worldbank.org)
[2] Article: Africa Moves Towards Intracontinental Fre.. | migrationpolicy.org
[3] https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/africa-intracontinental-free-movement
[4] https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/africa-intracontinental-free-movement
