Partners

African countries and stakeholders are working together to realize the potential of regional integration. The World Bank Group uses its convening power to support broad alignment of interests and implementation of agreed commitments.

The World Bank encourages cross-border collaboration on pandemic preparedness, regional trade, regional energy markets, and regional value chains. It is also brings together countries and partners impacted by cross-border fragility, conflict, and violence to ensure that root causes and development challenges are being systematically addressed.

Engaging with the African Union Commission

The main purpose of this partnership is to make progress on key continental priorities of regional integration — from agriculture and food security to digital and infrastructure development, trade, and capacity development. Support to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa feature prominently in the engagement, as they contribute to intra-regional trade in continental Africa.

Engaging with regional economic communities (RECs)

The World Bank partners with the following RECs:

Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
East African Community (EAC)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)

Support to these RECs covers the development and implementation of regional policies and reforms needed to create regional markets for goods and services and to enable regional collaboration on shared opportunities, like energy and transport connectivity, and on shared challenges and pressures, like climate change. These engagements address economic and financial integration, connectivity, disease surveillance, trade and market integration, and resilience.

Engaging with specialized institutions

Partnerships with sector-specific institutions support programs, (such as regional power pools and river basin authorities), priority sectors (health, education, financial, and others), and institutional development.

Engaging with other development partners

The World Bank has partnerships with development partners to support cross-border approaches in fragile countries. Partners include the Sahel Alliance (for work in the Sahel), the European Union, and African Development Bank (for work in the Horn of Africa).

Coming together to benefit each other

The World Bank is collaborating with African countries and regional institutions to empower people, unleash trade, and optimize shared natural resources and economies of scale to achieve Africa’s transformation.

VIDEO

VIDEO Jun 22, 2021

Coming Together to Benefit Each Other: Regional Integration in Africa

African countries are working together to address common challenges and harness their shared strengths to realize the continent’s potential market of 1.2 billion people. The World Bank Group is a key contributor to Africa’s regional integration.

Working Paper

Trade Creation and Trade Diversion in African RECs : Drawing Lessons for AfCFTA

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Africa Regional Integration