Echoing the calls of Kwame Nkrumah and other pan-Africanists that ‘Africa Must Unite’, continental integration and unity have been on the agenda ever since African countries gained political independence. African regional integration is seen as key to enhancing political cooperation at the pan-African level, and of promoting economic growth, development and poverty reduction to help achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite its central place in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and plans to establish a continental free trade area, there remain many political, economic and institutional challenges to deeper integration and effective implementation of regional trade agreements.

A Handbook on Regional Integration in Africa: Towards Agenda 2063 provides a ready and accessible resource for trade policy-makers, parliamentarians, the private sector, academia and civil society, as well as the general public. Advising and informing on current dynamics, opportunities, challenges and policy options for Africa’s regional integration agenda, the publication is a unique resource for supporting capacity-building on African regional trade issues.