INTRODUCTION TO AfCFTA LAW: - NATURE, SCOPE, OPERATIONAL INSTRUMENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS

The initiative to create a single African market has existed in the Pan-African political discourse for decades (e.g., Article 6 of the Abuja Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community, entered into force on 12 May 1994, signed by 54 of 55 States and ratified by 50 out of 55 AU Member States). The continent was set on the path to actualizing the goal after the inclusion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a flagship project in the African Union‟s Agenda 2063, of the Africa we want. The AfCFTA Agreement was signed on 21 March 2018, came into force on 30 May 2019 and became operational on 7 July 2019. After delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Free Trade Area(FTA) was launched on 1st January 2021. The are 54 signatories and 48 State Parties to AfCFTA Agreement out of 55 AU Member States, as at August 2024. Figures1 -5 below provide quick facts on AfCFTA Trade Regime. While Tables 1-3 Provide highlights on the significant relationship between the AfCFTA Trade Regime and Regional integration in Africa.