Regional Trade Agreements in Africa

This book discusses the transformative potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its profound impact on three distinct member states: Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia. It explores how the AfCFTA, grounded in pan-African values and founded upon trade theories, can provide a pathway to inclusive and sustainable development. Asking key questions of the AfCFTA, the book discusses whether its rules-based trade framework alone can catalyse development and argues that effective implementation hinges upon aligning domestic environments with the core aims of the AfCFTA and bolstering institutional capacity in its member states. It also underscores the critical need to address constraints such as infrastructural deficits, trade finance challenges, and productive capacity deficits. Through combining insights from law and development theory with economic integration theories, the book creates a comprehensive framework for analysing the domestic legal conditions essential for advancing the AfCFTA's developmental objectives. This approach accommodates the diverse political economies, economic policies, political histories, and development outlooks of each member state. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in the field of trade law and who have an interest in the AfCFTA.