CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ECOWAS AND THE AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA (AfCFTA)

The paper examined African regional integration through a comparison of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Guided by Bela Balassa’s stages of economic integration, the study used a qualitative comparative design based on institutional documents, trade data and relevant secondary literature. It examined tariff liberalization, free movement, customs arrangements, non-tariff barriers and emerging continental trade rules. The findings show that ECOWAS has developed a more established institutional framework, reflected in free movement and sub-regional trade, but deeper integration is still constrained by infrastructure deficits, policy differences, weak compliance and delays in monetary integration. AfCFTA, on the other hand, has a broader continental reach and has moved from negotiation towards implementation through initiatives such as the Guided Trade Initiative and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System. However, differences in infrastructure, productive capacity, customs systems and national implementation are significant limitations to the extent to which its opportunities are realized. It was concluded that institutionally, ECOWAS and AfCFTA should be regarded as complementary levels of African integration rather than competing frameworks. Among others, the study recommended greater use of interoperable payment systems to facilitate cross-border transactions and aid regional trade.