African Integration Reimagined: From Continental-Level Aspirations to Regional-Level Realities

Danilo Desiderio¹, Eric Tevoedjre²

¹ Trade Policy expert and Senior Associate, Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute (HESPI), Regional Office Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.

² Adjunct Professor in International Relations, Université Catholique de Lille, France. 

Abstract

This paper argues that Africa’s economic integration must shift from a top-down, aspirational model toward a pragmatic, project-based approach centered on the development of Regional Value Chains (RVCs). While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides an overarching framework for advancing continental integration, persistent challenges—like infrastructural deficits, fragmented production systems, and misaligned regulatory environments—indicate that meaningful progress can only be achieved incrementally. Given Africa’s economic and geographic diversity, regionally differentiated strategies are required, with RVCs serving as primary drivers and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as institutional anchors. By showing how RVC-led integration can align local comparative advantages with broader continental goals, the paper identifies a more viable pathway toward industrialization that enhances competitiveness, resilience, and technological upgrading.     

Keywords: Regional value chains (RVCs), AfCFTA, Regional integration, Regional Economic Communities (RECs)

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