Certificate program African economy integration in Sub-Saharan Africa

Course summary (African economy and economic integration):

Specialization course distance e-learning: ADB UNECA NEPAD AU. African foreign trade. Infrastructures. Relationships: Agoa, Cotonou, China, India.

- African economy and foreign trade.
- The African Development Bank
- Economic Commission for Africa UNECA.
- African Union AU.
- New Partnership for Africa's Development NEPAD.

- The Cotonou Agreement Africa European Union.
- AGOA African Growth and Opportunity Act. United States - Africa trade.
- Africa China: economic relationships.
- Africa India: economic relationships.
- Africa's regional integration.
- Infrastructures and telecommunications in Africa.

Growth in Africa, which had accelerated from 3.1 percent in 2000 to 6.1 percent in 2007, is now projected at only 1.7 percent for 2009 – down from the projected 6.4 percent, and far below the average growth rates of 5.3 percent posted by the continent’s best 15 performing countries for more than a decade. Following half a decade of above 5 per cent economic growth, the continent can expect only 2.8 per cent in 2009, less than half of the 5.7 per cent expected before the crisis. The creation of several institutions for economic integration in Africa in the last two decades was expected to boost intra-African trade in goods.

Analysis of trade destinations reveals that despite the low aggregate level of intra-African trade, such trade is very important for many African countries. At least 25 per cent of exports from 20 countries are absorbed by the regional market. Approximately 255 million people live in West Africa and 225 million in East Africa, the two most populous of Africa’s five regions, almost as many as in the entire U.S. Central Africa, the least populous, has over 100 million people. Southern Africa and North Africa each have about 150 million.

Example of the course (African economy and economic integration):

The private sector has driven the expansion of information and communications technology in recent years. Oil producer Nigeria has been increasing its dominance, and in 2007 accounted for well over half of total investment in resource rich countries.

Africa’s current particularly defective transport network prevents countries from being competitive, especially on the world market. In Africa, roads represent the most important means of transport, carrying nearly 90% of passengers and freight. Half of the countries on the continent are landlocked and the transport cost might represent as high as 77% of the value of exports.

The proportion of Africans living on less than $1.25 a day fell from 58 percent in 1996 to 50 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Africa is the second largest continent in the world. 1000 languages are spoken in Africa (40 of which have more than one million speakers).

The AFDB (African Development Bank Group) is a multilateral development bank whose shareholders include 53 African countries (regional member countries RMCs) and 24 non-African countries from the Americas, Asia, and Europe (non-regional member countries non-RMCs). In line with the Medium-Term Bank Group strategy 2008-2012, the Bank continued to focus its operations on supporting infrastructure, private sector development, good governance, and regional integration.

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN's five regional commissions. ECA's mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member states, foster intra-Regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa's development.

The African Union (AU) is Africa’s premier institution and principal organization for the promotion of accelerated socio-economic integration of the continent, which will lead to greater unity and solidarity between African countries and peoples. As a continental organization it focuses on the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent as a prerequisite for the implementation of the development and integration agenda of the Union.

The NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) strategic framework document arises from a mandate given to the five initiating Heads of State (Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa) by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to develop an integrated socio-economic development framework for Africa. NEPAD is designed to address the current challenges facing the African continent.

Cotonou Agreement (Africa European Union). Europe and Africa are connected by strong trade links, making the European Union (EU) the biggest export market for African products. For example, approximately 85% of Africa’s exports of cotton, fruit and vegetables are imported by the EU. The EU-Africa summit, held in Lisbon, cemented new Africa-EU Strategic partnership, marking a qualitative leap in relations between the two continents. The Joint Africa-EU Strategy provides an overarching long-term framework for Africa- EU relations, while its first action plan specifies concrete proposals for 2008-2010, structured along 8 Africa-European Union (EU) Strategic partnerships.

Example of the course:

Africa’s regional integration . The ultimate goal of the UNECA is to create an African Common market. An area where RECs Regional economic communities have been observed to be most active is trade and market integration. These RECs include the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), the Southern African development community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and the West African Economic and Monetary (UEMOA).

The cost of doing business in the continent is generally high, due in part to infrastructure gaps, duplicative border procedures and cumbersome paper requirements. Paperless trade still remains a distant objective. The free movement of people and the right of establishment have progressed in some RECs, but remain a paper objective in many other African subregions.

African exports remain heavily concentrated in a few primary commodities, in particular fuels and mining products. of the top 20 products exported by the region in the period 2000-2005, the great majority are fuels, fuel products and mineral products. A few are basic agricultural commodities (sugar, cotton, cocoa and coffee) and a very small number are manufactured products.

Infrastructure has been a major driver of strong economic growth in Africa in recent years. Better infrastructure could make an even greater contribution. Africa’s transport sector requires some $18 billion in annual investment, almost half for operations and maintenance.

A continuous appraisal of Africa’s integration performance is essential, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the strengths and weakness of the integration efforts, and to help shape the future through lessons learned. It is from this perspective that the African Union Commission and the Economic Commission for Africa publish the report on assessing Regional Integration in Africa, well known by its ARIA acronym.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a United States Trade Act that significantly enhances U.S. market access for (currently) 39 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. U.S. total exports to Africa rose 22 percent to $10.3 billion, with notable gains in agricultural goods, machinery, and transportation equipment. U.S. total imports (AGOA and non-AGOA) from Africa increased by 40 percent to $50.3 billion, largely due to an increase in oil imports.

The Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) is a platform established by China and African countries. The two-way trade between China and Africa reached US$12.389 billion in 2002,growing 7 times from the 1991 figure of US$1.44 billion. The import on the Chinese side accounted for US$5.427 billion and its export was US$6.962 billion.

Africa - India Forum Summit. The Heads of State and Government and Heads of Delegation of Africa, representing the Continent, the African Union and its institutions along with the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, recognizing the rich history of Africa-India relationship and noting with satisfaction the existing close, deep and multi-layered relations between the two sides and realizing the need to give a new dimension to this cooperation, have decided to adopt this Framework for Cooperation between Africa and India.

Certificate, Program, African, Economy, integration, Sub-Saharan, Africa, Specialization, course, distance, e-learning, ADB, UNECA, NEPAD, AU, foreign trade, infrastructures, Relationships, Agoa, Cotonou, China, India