The Post-Colonial African States and the Dilemma of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): A Prognostic Analysis

Abstract: Trade as the decisive force that binds countries of the world together, has pushed and pulled the states in the global world into formation of trade blocs as part of regional integration processes. Africa has recognized the benefits derivable from regional integration especially on level of trade and has keyed into this through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which was founded and ratified by the required number of countries in 2018. However, it is very worrisome and heart-quaking that as of the 5th of August 2021, only three out of the 36 countries that had deposited their instruments of ratification have met the custom requirements on infrastructure for trading as submitted by the Initiative for African Trade and Prosperity in 2021. The implication therefore is that only 3 of the 55 African Union nations who have signed the pact could trade effectively under the liberalized AfCFTA terms. This suggests some form of unwillingness and lack of the will to pursue this project on the part of member-countries of the AfCFTA. We therefore set out in this study to ruminate on the current and future problems of the AfCFTA. The study is guided by two research questions: (1) Does the undue economic advantage and control of African economy by their former colonial masters hamper the AfCFTA? (2) Does the weak nature of the post-colonial African states militate against the success of the AfCFTA? The study is a qualitative one and relied extensively on documentary evidence which were analyzed using content analysis method. The post-colonial state and the Neo-colonial dependence theories formed the theoretical framework around which the work revolved. We intend to demonstrate, using the chosen theories, that the neo-colonial ties and exploitation of African states in the contemporary periods by their former colonial masters forms a strong distraction and humongous obstacle to the optimal success of the AfCFTA. We also want to submit that the weak nature of African states in different sectors, arising from their colonial experiences, continues to hamper their ability to effectively implement regional integration strides which has become a major setback for the AfCFTA. Based on the above, we proffer that the individual member countries of the AfCFTA need to first strengthen their internal political cum economic structures. When this is achieved, they will then begin to extricate themselves from the existing Neo-colonial grip in which they have been entangled. When these are achieved, then AfCFTA will certainly be a reality.

Keywords: Free-Trade Area, Neo-Colonialism, Post-Colonial African States, Protectionism, Regional Integration