The African Continental Free Trade Area and Borderlands: Avoiding Pitfalls and Unlocking Potential
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to boost trade across Africa and lift millions of Africans out of poverty. However, like all free trade deals, the AfCFTA will inflict short-term economic pain on certain individuals and communities while creating new opportunities for others. These disruptions will be most acute in borderland regions across the continent. To minimize the AfCFTA’s adverse short-term effects on borderland communities, African governments should invest in border communities, prioritize extending state services into borderland regions, and eventually devolve political power and resources to local and regional governments to spur cross-border cooperation and unlock the AfCFTA’s full potential.
