e-Course: Regional Economic Integration in Africa

Course: African Regional Integration. Economic Communities (e-learning, 8 ECTS, )

Ten subjects compose the Course “Regional Economic Integration in Africa” (distance learning) taught by EENI Business School & HA Independent University:

1. Introduction to Regional Economic Integration in Africa (1 ECTS)
   1. Regional Economic Communities (REC)
2. Status of Regional Economic Integration in Africa (2 ECTS)
3. Action Plan for Boosting Intra-African Trade (0.5 ECTS)
4. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Regional Trade and Integration in Africa (0.5 ECTS)
5. Regional financial integration in Africa (0.5 ECTS)
6. Infrastructures in Africa (1 ECTS)
   1. Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) (0.3 ECTS)
7. African Value Chains (0.5 ECTS)
8. Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) (1 ECTS)
9. COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite (0.1 ECTS)
10. African Continental Free-Trade Area (CFTA) (0.5 ECTS)

1. Credits of the course “Regional Economic Integration in Africa”: 8
2. Total Tuition Fees: EUR 192 (Pricing Policy)
3. Organisation: EENI Business School & HA University
4. Students can begin the course when he/she wishes (open enrolment) and from any place in the world
5. Requires an average dedication of 12 hours per week
6. Duration: six weeks
7. Download the syllabus of the course “Regional Economic Integration in Africa” (PDF)

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Learning materials in (or Intégration régionale en Afrique Integración regional en África Integração Regional na África). The student has free access to course materials in these languages.

The main objective of the online course “Regional Economic Integration in Africa” is to understand the irreversible African Integration process whose final goal is the creation of the “African Continental Free-Trade Area.”

The specific aims of the course “Regional Economic Integration in Africa” are the following:

1. To understand the fundamental role of the African Union, UNECA, African Development Bank and Regional economic communities and overlapping of functions (“Spaghetti Bowl”) in African Integration process
2. To understand the four pillars of Africa's Regional Integration
3. To understand the African Economic Community, African Customs Union and the future “African Common Market”
4. To know the strengths and weakness of African Integration
5. To know the Status of Regional Economic Integration in Africa
6. To identify the obstacles to Intra-African Trade
7. To be familiar with the Action Plan for Boosting Intra-African Trade (to reach 25% of intra-African trade)
8. To learn about the advantages of Information and communication technologies (ICT) applied to inter-African Trade
9. To understand the African Financial system integration and the role of Cross-border banking
10. To understand the fundamental role of infrastructures (one of the drivers of the African Economic growth) and ICT (“African Mobile Revolution”) in African Integration process
11. To be familiar with the PIDA (Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa)
12. To evaluate trading costs in Africa
13. To know how African enterprises can take advantage of African Value Chains
14. To learn about two good examples of African Integration: OHADA (Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa) and Tripartite Agreement (COMESA-EAC-SADC)
15. To know the paths towards African Continental Free-Trade Area (CFTA), benefits for Africa, and potential scenarios to achieve it

Course intended for all those wishing to understand the path towards African Continental Free-Trade Area and socio-economic implications for Africa.

The course contains exercises that are evaluated, which the student must work out and pass to obtain the diploma of the course “Africa's regional integration” issued by EENI Business School & HA Independent University.

1. Doctorates: Business in Africa, Foreign Trade
2. Masters: African Business, International Business, Foreign Trade
3. Bachelor of Science in Inter-African Business

The students who have taken this course (Regional Economic Integration in Africa) can validate and register for a Bachelor of Science, Master or Doctorate at EENI Business School & HA University.

Online Enrolment Procedure (continuous):

Example of the Online Course - Regional Economic Integration in Africa:

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Subjects of the Course - Regional Economic Integration in Africa:

Subject 1- Introduction to the Regional Economic Integration in Africa. Syllabus:

This subject consists of four parts:

1- Introduction to African Integration.

1. History of the Regional Integration Process in the African Continent
2. Abuja Treaty
3. Towards an African Economic Community (AEC)
4. Treaties and Protocols on Regional Integration

2- Regional Economic Communities (RECs) In Africa (Summary).

1. CEN-SAD (Community of Sahel-Saharan States)
2. COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa)
3. EAC (East African Community)
4. ECCAS (Economic Community of Central African States)
5. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)
6. IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development)
7. SADC (Southern African Development Community)
8. UMA (Arab Maghreb Union)
9. COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

3- Other African Economic Groups (Summary).

1. SACU (Southern African Customs Union)
2. MRU (Mano River Union)
3. IOC (Indian Ocean Commission)
4. WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union)
5. WAMZ (West African Monetary Zone)
6. ICGLR (International Conference on the Great Lakes Region)
7. CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community)

4- The Four Pillars of Regional Economic Integration in Africa.

1. Trade and Market Integration
2. Harmonisation of Sectoral Policies
3. Macroeconomic Policy Convergence, Financial, and Monetary Integration
4. Peace, Security, Stability, and Governance
5. Facts and figures about Regional Economic Integration in Africa

Subject 2- Status of Regional Economic Integration in Africa. Syllabus:

1. Assessing Regional Economic Integration in Africa (ARIA) report (Economic Commission for Africa, African Development Bank, Africa Union)
2. Developments in the major areas across RECs (Regional Economic Communities)
3. Free movement of people and right of establishment
4. Macroeconomics policy convergence
5. Physical integration in Africa
   1. Road
   2. Railway
   3. Air transport
   4. Energy
6. Developments at inter-REC and continental levels
7. Mainstreaming regional integration
8. Harmonising Rules of origin across Africa
9. Trade Facilitation Measures and Programs
10. Market Access and Services
11. Trans-African Corridors initiatives
12. Best Practices in Regional Economic Integration in Africa

Description of the Course: Regional Economic Integration in Africa.

Regional Economic Communities are the main customers of the Economic Commission for Africa at the sub-regional level. The commission and its Sub-Regional Office works in close collaboration with the main Regional Economic Communities to harmonise membership, reinforce policy and build technical capacity to pursue Regional Economic Integration in Africa.

There are multiple regional trading blocs in Africa, known as Regional Economic Communities, many of which have overlapping memberships.

The ultimate goal of the Economic Commission for Africa is to create an African Common Market. An area where Regional Economic Communities have been observed to be more active in trade and market integration.

On average, all the Regional Economic Communities and intra-intergovernmental organisations registered positive growth in exports to community members, with the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and CENSAD showing an average increase of 40% or more.

West African Economic and Monetary Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Southern African Development Community, Economic Community of West African States, Arab Maghreb Union and OIC registered growth in exports to the community in the range of 20-40%.

The Constitutive Act of the African Union makes it clear that the main goal of the African Union is to set up an African Economic Community and assigns to Regional Economic Communities the primary responsibility. An intermediate stage in this effort is the transition of Regional Economic Communities into customs unions.

A continuous evaluation of integration efficiency in Africa is fundamental to gain a deeper understanding of the strengths and weakness of African Integration efforts. It is from this perspective that the African Union Commission and the Economic Commission for Africa publish the report on Assessing Regional Economic Integration in Africa (ARIA).

The cost of doing business in Africa is usually high, due in part to infrastructure gaps, duplicative border customs procedures and uncomfortable paper requisites. Foreign trade paperless remains a distant objective. Free movement of people and right of establishment has advanced in some Regional Economic Communities but remain a paper objective in many other African sub-regions.

African exports remain heavily concentrated in a few primary commodities, especially fuels and mining products. Of the top twenty exported products by Africa, the vast majority are fuels, fuel products, and mineral products. A few are basic agricultural commodities (sugar, cotton, cocoa, and coffee), and a slight number are manufactured goods.

International Transport is critical to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (United Nations) and the objectives of Regional Economic Integration in Africa. It is of particular importance important to intensify Africa's competitiveness in regional and Global Markets by reducing high cost of doing business in Africa, exacerbated by deficiencies in transport infrastructure.

❮ Samples of the Course: Regional Economic Integration in Africa ❯

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