Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA) – serie

The seventh edition of Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA VII) examines how the three elements of regional integration, innovation and competitiveness are interlinked. It explores the prospects for harnessing them within the framework of Africa’s normative regional integration development model oriented to foster structural change. Evidence presented in ARIA VII for a sample of 15 African countries for the period between 1995 and 2010 shows that growth in most of the sample countries has been achieved through factor accumulation rather than through significant improvements with input combinations that are associated with innovation. Based on theoretical and empirical insights, the report makes recommendations as to how further regional integration boost Africa’s capacity for innovation and competitiveness. In addition, the report provides an overview of regional integration trends in Africa, including an analysis of data from the African Regional Integration Index.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) promises to give a significant boost to the continent’s economy and, in particular, to support industrialization and structural transformation. In this context, the 8th edition of Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA VIII) looks at what will be needed to ensure that the CFTA is implemented and that iintra-African trade plays a more dynamic role in contributing to economic transformation in Africa. Drawing on political economy analysis, the report analyses what kind of institutional set-up will be needed to ensure the CFTA’s implementation as well as the capacity development needs at the national, regional economic community and continental levels. The report also provides an update on the expected benefits of the CFTA’s implementation, as well as the usual chapter on the status of regional integration in Africa.