Africa Regional Integration Index Report 2016
Autors :
This report and the development of the Africa Regional Integration Index are the product of a strong collaboration on the part of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The Index is made up of five dimensions, which are the key socio-economic categories that are fundamental to Africa’s integration. Sixteen Indicators (based on available data), which cut across the five dimensions, have been used to calculate the Index. The Index 2016 report covers member countries from the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) recognized by the African Union. The dimensions and indicators chosen for the Index are based on the Abuja Treaty and its operational framework.
Regional integration overall: average REC sores in the five Dimensions
Index findings are in line with progress being made on RECs’ regional integration agendas. The RECs score highly on areas that they have prioritized on regional integration to date. The different RECs’ performance on the dimensions reinforces how progress is being made through a regional approach to integration in Africa rather than through a continent-wide approach.
| REC | Trade Integration | Regional Infrastructure | Productive Integration | Free movement of people | Financial and macroeconomic integration |
| CEN-SAD | 0,353 | 0,251 | 0,247 | 0,479 | 0,524 |
| COMESA | 0,572 | 0,439 | 0,452 | 0,268 | 0,343 |
| EAC | 0,780 | 0,496 | 0,553 | 0,715 | 0,156 |
| ECCAS | 0,526 | 0,451 | 0,293 | 0,400 | 0,599 |
| ECOWAS | 0,442 | 0,426 | 0,265 | 0,800 | 0,611 |
| IGAD | 0,505 | 0,630 | 0,434 | 0,454 | 0,221 |
| SADC | 0,508 | 0,502 | 0,350 | 0,53 | 0,397 |
| UMA | 0,631 | 0,491 | 0,481 | 0,493 | 0,199 |
| Average of eight RECs | 0,540 | 0,461 | 0,384 | 0,517 | 0,381 |
How to read these charts:
Scores are calculated on a score of 0 (low) to 1 (high).
– CEN-SAD’s performance on Financial and macroeconomic integration is linked to the presence of WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) and CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community) member countries with a common currency in the franc zone.
– CEN-SAD
- Nigeria represents 37% of regional GDP (Gross Domestic Product) but is not in the top performers on Regional integration, neither is Egypt, which represents 18% of regional GDP.
- Côte d’Ivoire, which is the top performing country on Regional integration, represents just 3% of regional GDP
– ECOWAS has higher than average REC scores across the Dimensions of Free movement of people and Financial and macroeconomic integration. All ECOWAS countries score 0.8, having implemented the free movement of persons protocol, which enables ECOWAS citizens to travel to all member countries without a visa.
– ECOWAS
- Nigeria is the first contributor of wealth creation in the region (75% of regional GDP), but does not feature in the top performing countries on Regional integration.
- Côte d’Ivoire is the top performer on Regional integration but only represents 6% of regional GDP.
Top countries on Regional integration with ‘deep and broad’ integration scores
Integration is ‘deep and broad’ when a country in a REC is strongly integrated (in the top four or top two countries in their REC) and performs strongly on three or more dimensions.
CEN-SAD
No. 1 Côte d’Ivoire scores highly on:
– Trade integration
– Free movement of people
– Financial and macroeconomic integration
No. 2 Benin scores highly on:
– Productive integration
– Free movement of people
– Financial and macroeconomic integration
No. 3 Togo scores highly on:
– Regional infrastructure
– Free movement of people
– Financial and macroeconomic integration
No. 4 Senegal scores highly on:
– Trade integration
– Free movement of people
– Financial and macroeconomic integration
ECOWAS
No. 1 Côte d’Ivoire scores highly on:
– Trade integration
– Free movement of people
– Financial and macroeconomic integration
No. 2 Togo scores highly on:
– Regional infrastructure
– Productive integration
– Free movement of people
– Financial and macroeconomic integration
No. 3 Senegal scores highly on:
– Trade integration
– Productive integration
– Free movement of people
– Financial and macroeconomic integration
ECOWAS countries with ‘deep and broad’ integration scores are all WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) countries.
Benin’s high performance in CEN-SAD on Productive integration can be explained by its proximity to Nigeria, since Benin re-exports manufactured products to its neighbor.
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