African Continental Free Trade area and the imperative of sustainability

Africa is poised for significant transformation. With its abundant natural resources, vibrant youth demographic, and expanding markets, the continent shows great promise for prosperity and sustainable growth (Kayizzi-Mugerwa, 2019; Cardona et al., 2020). However, this potential is hindered by deep-rooted challenges (Onwuka & Udegbunam, 2019). Historically divided into small, often disconnected economies, Africa has alarmingly low levels of intra-regional trade, typically ranging from 15 per cent to 18 per cent.