African Union and Regional Economic Integration

Abstract

Africa has a notable prevalence of sub-regional economic groupings, multilateral arrangements, and organisations that actively advocate for the objectives of integration. However, it is worth noting that the continent has consistently shown the lowest level of integration among the world’s prominent areas. Africa has shown a very lethargic pace of growth and is home to a significant proportion of the world’s least developed countries. A significant proportion of the African population is entrenched in poverty, while the subcontinents remain excluded from global affairs. It is evident that Africa has not completely experienced the advantages of regional economic integration, and the desired economic transformation of the whole African continent, a primary purpose of the establishment of regional economic integration initiatives, has not yet been achieved. In the African context, a noticeable disparity exists between the theoretical ideals of regional economic integration and the perceptible evidence and practical implementation of such integration. The phenomenon of regionalism in Africa elicits a multitude of contradictions and sparks debates within the realm of theoretical discourse. This study explores the difficulty of regional economic integration in Africa, analysing the fundamental challenges within both theoretical frameworks and practical implementations.