The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is a trade agreement between 49 African Union member states,[1][6][7][8] with the goal of creating a single market followed by free movement and a single-currency union.[9][10] The AfCFTA was signed in Kigali, Rwanda on 21 March 2018. Signing the Agreement does not yet establish the African Continental Free Trade Area. It will function as an umbrella to which protocols and annexes will be added. Once all documents are concluded and ratified by 22 states, the free trade area will formally exist.[11]
Negotiations will continue in 2018 with Phase II, including Competition Policy, Investment and Intellectual Property Rights. A draft shall be submitted for the January 2020 AU Assembly.[12]
Kenya and Ghana were the first countries to deposit the ratification instruments on 10 May 2018 after ratification through their parliaments.[2]
As of December 2018, 49 of the 55 African Union states had signed the agreement, with Nigeria the only major country missing from the agreement.
| Country | Signed By | afCFTA Consolidated Text | Kigali Declaration | Free Movement Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Algeria
|
Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia | Yes | Yes | No |
 Angola
|
President João Lourenço | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Central African Republic
|
President Faustin Archange Touadéra | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Chad
|
President Idriss Déby | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Comoros
|
President Azali Assoumani | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Djibouti
|
President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh | Yes | Yes | No |
 Equatorial Guinea
|
Prime Minister Francisco Pascual Obama Asue | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Gabon
|
President Ali Bongo Ondimba | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Gambia
|
President Adama Barrow | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Ghana
|
President Nana Akufo-Addo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Ivory Coast
|
Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan | Yes | No | No |
 Kenya
|
President Uhuru Kenyatta | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Lesotho
|
Prime Minister Tom Thabane | No | Yes | Yes |
 Mauritania
|
President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Morocco
|
Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani | Yes | No | No |
 Mozambique
|
President Filipe Nyusi | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Niger
|
President Mahamadou Issoufou | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Republic of the Congo
|
President Denis Sassou Nguesso | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Rwanda
|
President Paul Kagame | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
|
President Mohamed Abdelaziz | Yes | Yes | No |
 Senegal
|
President Macky Sall | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Seychelles
|
Vice President Vincent Meriton | Yes | Yes | No |
 South Africa
|
President Cyril Ramaphosa | No | Yes | No |
 Sudan
|
President Omar al-Bashir | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Eswatini
|
Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini | Yes | Yes | No |
 Tanzania
|
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa | No | Yes | No |
 Zimbabwe
|
President Emmerson Mnangagwa | Yes | Yes | No |
Nigeria has yet to sign the agreement. At over 173 million people, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and dwarfs the second most-populous country, Ethiopia, with 100 million people. With a nominal GDP of $376 billion, or around 17% of Africa's GDP, it is just ahead of South Africa, which makes up the next 16% of Africa's economy. Because Nigeria is such a significant country in Africa in terms of its population and its economy, its absence since the initial signing of the agreement until now is particularly conspicuous. South African Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa underscored this in comments on 12 July 2018, saying "The continent is waiting for Nigeria and South Africa. By trading among ourselves, we are able to retain more resources in the continent" (South Africa has since signed the agreement).[13]
44 countries initially signed the agreement in 21 March 2018. Nigeria was one of 11 African Union nations to avoid initially signing. At the time, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said that Nigeria couldn't do anything that would undermine local manufacturers and entrepreneurs.[14] The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, which represents 3000 Nigerian manufacturers, praised the decision to back out of the agreement.[14] The Nigerian foreign minister tweeted that more domestic consultation that was needed before Nigeria could signed the agreement.[15] Former president Olusegun Obasanjo said Nigeria's delay was regrettable.[16] The Nigeria Labour Congress called the agreement a "renewed, extremely dangerous and radioactive neo-liberal policy initiative", suggesting increased economic pressure would pressure workers into migration under difficult and unsafe conditions.[17]
On July 21, 2018, five more nations signed the agreement, including South Africa. At that time, the Nigerian government emphasized its non-participation was a delay, not a withdraw, and promised to soon sign the agreement.[18] As the foreign minister had earlier emphasized, the Nigerian government intended to consult further with local businesses in order to ensure private sector buy-in to the agreement.[19]
As the Nigerian government continued to consult with local business groups in the latter half of 2018, a key concern was whether the agreement adequately prevented anti-competitive practices such as dumping.[20] As 2018 drew to a close, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said the delay was "regrettable", emphasizing the lack of trade in goods amongst African countries, the difficulties in travelling from one African country to another, and the colonial legacy which these restrictions on Africa's growth represented.[21] The government steering committee in charge of the consultative process was due to release its report on the agreement in January 2019.[22]
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