Abstract
M.A. (Political Studies)
Sub-Saharan African governments have long expressed their support for increased
intra-African trade, but official statistics show that this type of trade. remains Iess
than 5% of the total. The continued emphasis on establishing supranational
organisations to direct regional trade Iiberalisation through. phased tariff reductions is symptomatic of the strategies dominating most. deliberations on regional integration. Despite the continuing proliferation of multilateral treaties, protocols
and resolutions concerned with promoting regional trade, intra-African exchange
has stagnated. Recorded barter in Africa's major sub-regional communities has not
significantly increased between the late 1970's and today (Barad, 1990: 102).
The reason for this absence of progress in the promotion of intra-African trade is
most clearly expressed in the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing its worst
economic crisis to date. According to Williams (1993: 5-6) this crisis is manifested
in foreign .debt, poverty and trade.deficits. These conditions are the result of the
following: deteriorating terms of external trade, the rise in debt-servicing
obligations relative to both export earnings and gross domestic product, climatic
conditions such as drought, civil wars and regional disputes, the lack of
infrastructure and the overvaluation of African currencies, government and privatesector
corruption, and the inability of African states to respond to the oil crisis of
1979-1980. Naldi (1989: 2) adds the neglect of the agricultural sector, unfeasible .
industrial programmes, and wasteful prestige projects as factors contributing to the
economic crisis. African states have of necessity turned to the industrial nations of the First World for their image and development, since these communities have the technology and finances fundamental to development. This may be themain reason that 95% of all African trade occurs outside the African continent However, African leaders. have long recognised the need for closer regional ties as a way of overcoming the fragmentation of the continent, one of the major constraints on economic
development. Ndulo (1992: 17) claims that the economic integration of Africa was the
centr8llheme of the 1980 Lagos ?Ian of Action and numerous other high-level
statements and reports on African policy and development strategy. Economic
integration is perceived by many African states as the ultimate type of regional
economic collaboration, and as a promising vehicle for enhancing economic
and social development, This idea is reinforced by the relative success of integration in Western Europe and through the United States-Canadian Free Trade
Agreement.