Experience of Regionalism in Africa: A Critical Appraisal

The aims and objectives of the economic communities — the PTA, ECOWAS, ECCAS and SADCC — are all embracing and directed towards the eventual establishment of an African Common Market. They all broadly aspire to promote and enhance economic development through close cooperation among the member states in all fields of economic activity. Specifically, the member states undertook, in the treaties establishing their communities, to increase their existing transport and communications links and to create new ones as a means of strengthening the physical integration of the subregional groupings and promoting the movement of persons, goods and services within the communities. In the production sector, the member states declared with regard to industrial development that they would endeavour to promote autonomous industrialization within the communities through the development of the large intermediate and capital foods industries, promotion of the multinational enterprises, and especially development of the strategic natural resources of the subregions by establishing heavy industries, including metallurgical, chemical and petrochemical industries as well as intermediate and secondary industries such as mechanical, electrical and electronic industries. This, with a view to establishing an industrial base to support the development of agriculture and other key sectors. The integration of industry and the other sectors was meant to help trigger off a process of autonomous and self-sustained economic development and internal accumulation and put African economies in a better position to counter international competition.