| dc.description.abstract | The study examines the challenges of regional integration in Africa and COMESA as a case study. It further examines the role of regional bodies in furthering integration in Africa; the challenges that face COMESA in regional integration and consequently presents recommendations for addressing the challenges for effective regional integration. In the advent of increased competition, regional integration has become indispensable by synergising economies of scale in fragmented economies of Africa for greater leverage in the wider market. Espoused by early African leaders since independence, the efforts have resulted in multiplicity of regional bodies which however have not performed optimally and are beleaguered with numerous challenges.
The ensuing debates on regional integration in Africa reveal that though its effectiveness as a role in integration is debatable it remains the only vehicle for sustainable growth even to the developed world. Regarding debates on its effectiveness vis a vis alternative forms of integration in Africa and also on new approaches to integration and regional approaches in Africa, what emerged is that it is effective to some extent though other forms of cooperation such as Multilateralism and regionalism could indeed widen the scope for integration to include other aspects besides trade and further strengthen it.
This presents a case for need to review the earlier strategy as set out in African Economic Community and Abuja treaty on integration in Africa to enable its mandate to cope and withstand contemporary challenges in a globalised world and especially the existing problem of overlapping membership and the resultant lack of harmonisation of policies which hinders any meaningful progress. Lack of political will and fear of loosing some sovereignty is a major underlying challenge which then manifests in multiplicity of blocs, and preference to engage in inter regional trade at the expense of intra regional trade; suspicions and mistrust and thus lack of implementation of decisions and commitment among other challenges .
The study reveals that COMESA has been active having launched a Free Trade Area in 2000 and a Customs Union protocol in 2007 though it has had challenges mainly due to lack of harmonisation of policies due to overlapping membership. The study while focusing on the primary and secondary data presents the argument that regional integration in Africa and indeed COMESA need to embrace the new approaches to regional integration to strengthen integration and address the myriad of challenges.
Regionalism and multilateralism with the ensuing widened scope of cooperation in other areas other than trade, will hasten the rate of growth as it allows incremental progress for those members who are willing to proceed and deals with existing bloc lethargy. Formation of a regional level monitoring and implementation of decisions will further harness the progress so far and augment these efforts towards a more effective regional integration in COMESA and indeed Africa. | en_US |
