Maryla Maliszewska , lead author, is a senior economist in Trade and Regional Integration Unit (ETIRI) at the World Bank. His area of expertise covers various aspects of trade policy and regional integration, with particular emphasis on the impact of trade on poverty and income distribution. In Kigali, Rwanda, where the framework protocol was signed in March last year, African heads of state and government were optimistic. If – or when – the 55 African countries ratify the free trade area, it would together represent more than $4 trillion in consumer and business spending, and a market size of 1.2 billion people. MAN President Frank Jacobs told Nigerian media that the country`s private sector had not been consulted on afCFTA and warned that the deal could kill Nigerian industry and fuel unemployment. He said the government needed to explain its plan to protect 10% of the products and enforce the rules of origin provision. At the summit, Benin and Nigeria signed the agreement, so Eritrea is the only African state not to be part of the agreement; Since then, Eritrea has applied to join the agreement. Gabon and Equatorial Guinea also tabled their ratifications at the summit. At the time of launch, there were 27 states that had ratified the agreement. [45] [47] [48] [49] The Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) [9] is a free trade area with 28 countries from 2018. [1] [10] [11] [12] It was created by the African Free Trade Agreement between 54 of the 55 african union nations. [13] The free trade area is the largest in the world, in terms of the number of participating countries since the creation of the World Trade Organization. [14] Accra, Ghana, is the secretariat of AFCFTA and was commissioned by Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo on 18 August 2020 in Accra and handed over to the AU.
Whatever its historical significance, much remains to be done before countries can benefit from a free trade area. Countries committed to the agreement are expected to present their timetables for concessions for trade in goods and services by next year. Concession schedules outline products and services that countries will no longer tax. Despite MAN`s concerns, Ms Songwe insists that the agreement provides integrated protection for vulnerable sectors.
