ABSTRACT

Feld and Jordan have portrayed this unprecedented proliferation of integration of national economies in the following words: The number of IGOs has grown tremendously since World War II. In the industrialized world, for example, the desire for economic integration is reflected in the formation of such inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) as the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) bloc of countries, and the European Union (EU), among many others. The primary rationale for economic integration derives not only from economic considerations; rather, it emanates from social, security, technological, and political factors as well. In the twenty-first century, African governments should not expect to make any headway in their quest for enhanced socio-economic development if they cannot briskly integrate their countries national economies. Now the African Union (AU) is born, the immediate and mammoth task for all Africans to translate this political commitment into concrete action.