ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some constraints to economic development and trade before tracing the historical formation of the African Regional Economic Communities (RECs). It evaluates major impediments to an effective continent-wide economic integration before considering a retrospective look and possible scenarios for the future. The chapter explores efforts of the African Economic Community (OAU) and the African Union (AU) led to the adoption of several treaties and programmes that aimed at fostering regional integration. The idea of an anchor community' has an operational or strategic value considering especially that African RECs lack a certain regional order'. Africa's efforts towards a continent-wide economic integration have been constrained and undermined by overlapping regional arrangements and the absence of collective agreements on rationalizing and harmonizing regional initiatives. This has been further undermined by the non-complementary trade structure and low degree of diversification and member states varying economic interests clearly indicated by the ongoing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations.
