World Bank proposes plan to integrate African customs and markets

The World Bank, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), is set to present a report titled ‘Integrating Africa: From Threads to Hubs’. The study focuses on reducing commercial friction to establish regional production hubs across the continent.

While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has provided a framework for a larger integrated market, the report suggests that tariff liberalization alone is insufficient. Future progress requires interoperability between customs, transport, standards, payments, services, energy, and data across different nations.

The proposed action plan rests on four pillars: building regional production networks, reducing trade frictions, strengthening regional agreements, and enhancing shared public goods, such as transport corridors and energy networks.