The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world's largest free trade area that brings together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to sign an agreement that eliminates trade barriers, increases intra-Africa trade, boosts Africa's trading position in the global market, advances open visa policies, and increases local manufacturing.
The AfCFTA agreement has been signed by 54 countries and 48 out of the 54 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification. Here is the list of the 48 signatories to the Agreement that have deposited their instruments of AfCFTA ratification—arranged alphabetically:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Republic
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- São Tomé & PrÃncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The AfCFTA became operational in January 2021. Since its became operational, the initiative has brought many benefits to it member states including; economic integration, increased trade, economic diversification, foreigner’s investment, job creation, poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
The AfCFTA’s 54 countries have a combined GDP of US$3.4 trillion in total. The AfCFTA was first signed in 2018 by 44 of the 55 African Union member states—now signed by 54 member states. The first phase of the agreement began in January 2021, gradually eliminating tariffs on 90% of goods.
Now, Lagos-Nigeria is intensifying efforts to establish itself as a dominant player in the Africa’s trade landscape. The city is committed to capitalizing on AfCFTA’s opportunities to drive economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen regional integration—which will position her as a leading force in Africa’s evolving trade environment.
