Focus on effective integration in the Sub Saharan Africa

By Isabella Bwiire

As the country looks forward to having regional leaders, regional economic integration has a fairly long history in virtually all parts of sub Saharan Africa, in some sub - regions pre-dating independence.

Although a number of leaders called for the integration of Africa soon after independence, it was only in the 1970s /1980s that concentrate steps were taken to re-launch or establish economic integration institutions in all sub regions.

The expressed interest and continuing political rhetoric in support of regional integration has however, not been matched by political will and systematic actions to advance and deepen regional integration.

Although a few of the integration groupings are beginning to make modest progress, the overall achievement to date has not been felt, both in terms of cross border trade and investment among member countries and with respect to the strength of the integration institutions themselves.

Despite the disappointment record, the promotion of regional integration remains an important economic and political goal in Africa.

It is appropriate to re-examine the constraints faced and to consider actions that would promote an effective and rationalized integration structure.

It is with this intent that the regional leaders ought to summarize the rationale and benefits of integration and review the less than satisfactory record of regional integration in sub -Saharan Africa including the general and specific constraints that account for the unsatisfactory performance, then focus on some of the benefits including;

Member countries presenting themselves as a united and credible group in international trade negotiations and at other multilateral forums.

This can be dependent on the existence of a pool of expertise that can analyze the trade and related issues under negotiation.

An integration framework would enhance the potential for sub -regional specialization and cooperation in a variety of economic and social spheres.

Universities and research centers can enter into cooperatiotive arrangements whereby each will specialize in a few disciplines rather than spreading their resources thinly and ineffectively in an effort to cover a large number of academic research areas.

Programs like combating corruption may also be jointly undertaken and coordinated within a sub - regional set up, controlling diseases, countering the operation of crime syndicates, achieving equitable sharing of such trans-boundary resources as water from international rivers and developing transport corridors and other multi- country infrastructure would all be much better facilitated if undertaken within a formal integration framework.

These would reduce transaction costs and encourages new investments.With an effective integration, National-level reforms and other economic policies may gain more credibility if closely coordinated and harmonized with neighboring countries.

Reforms may be more securely "locked-in" to a sub-regional framework which can also shield policy -makers from domestic pressure groups seeking to dilute or reverse such reforms.

Conversely, some reforms can have negative spillovers on neighbors, if the timing and content of such reforms are uncoordinated among neighboring countries.

It would enhance the nurturing of new and fragile democracies; promote stability and management of conflict and development of joint security arrangements against external threats.

With time, the deepening of integration with in a sub-region may minimize the potential for hostilities between neighboring countries.

In conclusion, realization of some or all of the foregoing benefits and many more is a motivating factor for countries to positively embrace regional integration schemes. Unfortunately, due to a variety of constraints, a few of Africa's integration arrangements have yielded significant benefits to their members.

Duplication, political system, and overlap, though significant, are not the only obstacles hindering regional integration in Africa. A number of more general constraints also need to be addressed.

The writer works with the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative