African Union Agenda 2063

This paper explores the persistence of protectionist trade policies across Africa and their implications for economic development, regional integration, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). While protectionism can support emerging industries and strategic sectors, excessive reliance on it undermines long-term growth and regional cooperation. Kofi Oteng Kufuor’s work on protectionism in Africa, as a sub-part of his recent monograph The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement: the Development of a Rules-Based Trading Order, dissects the problem of protectionism within Africa. He demonstrates the threat to the planned single market from a range of forces, that can operate on two-levels, the sub-regional level and the regional level. African countries have stunted intra-African trade with protectionism. Drawing from historical developments, legal frameworks, and policy case studies—including Nigeria’s 2019–2020 border closure—the study evaluates the balance between national trade protection and continental liberalization efforts. It also highlights institutional and regulatory constraints that hinder AfCFTA’s implementation. The paper concludes by advocating for a pragmatic approach to trade policy—combining time-bound protectionism with structural reforms to foster sustainable development and pan-African economic unity.

Dr. Oyeniyi Abe’s book, Implementing Business and Human Rights Norms in Africa: Law and Policy Intervention, is a timely intervention in the field of business and human rights. The book focuses on interpreting and implementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in Africa through legal and policy frameworks.

Abe’s book discusses the challenges associated with the utilisation of business and human rights principles in development projects in Africa using South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria as case studies. The author uses the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) as a benchmark in making a case for human rights approach in the implementation of development projects in Africa. The author highlights the legal challenges of business and human rights in the extractive industry while underscoring the increasing significance of the implementation of a human rights approach in corporate governance regimes in the spotlighted nations. Many economies in Africa are heavily dependent on telecommunication, energy, extractives and the financial industries. Corporations in these industries often undertake activities with significant social, environmental and human rights implications.