The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has adopted a new strategic framework aimed at strengthening the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, in a move that underscores the evolving role of regional economic communities within Africa’s broader integration agenda.
The decision was taken during the ninth Extraordinary Meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers held in Lusaka on 2 April, where member states also endorsed the COMESA Medium Term Strategic Plan for the period 2026 to 2030. According to an official statement released by the organisation, the strategy is designed to provide a structured pathway through which member states can better align national and regional priorities with the objectives of the continental free trade framework.
The African Continental Free Trade Area, which entered its operational phase in 2021 under the auspices of the African Union, seeks to create a single market for goods and services across the continent, with the longer term objective of facilitating the free movement of capital and people. It is widely regarded as a central pillar of the African Economic Community, envisaged under the Abuja Treaty. Within this architecture, regional economic communities such as COMESA are recognised as foundational building blocks that support phased integration.
COMESA’s newly adopted approach reflects this layered institutional framework. The organisation stated that the strategy will enable its member states to leverage opportunities arising from the continental market while strengthening productive capacity, enhancing infrastructure linkages and promoting inclusive and sustainable development. These priorities are consistent with broader continental ambitions to deepen intra African trade, which remains comparatively low relative to other global regions.
Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe noted that the adoption of both the implementation strategy and the medium term plan signals a renewed commitment to regional integration. She indicated that the framework is intended to guide member states in navigating both opportunities and structural constraints associated with market integration, including industrial competitiveness and trade facilitation.
Across the continent, implementation of the AfCFTA has proceeded unevenly, shaped by varying levels of readiness, institutional capacity and infrastructure development. Analysts have pointed to the importance of coordination between continental and regional mechanisms to avoid duplication and ensure coherence in trade regimes. In this context, COMESA’s initiative may be understood as part of a broader effort to harmonise regional strategies with continental objectives.
The Medium Term Strategic Plan adopted alongside the implementation strategy outlines a forward looking agenda focused on economic transformation. It places emphasis on expanding regional value chains, strengthening cross border infrastructure and fostering an enabling environment for private sector participation. These elements are widely viewed as essential for translating trade liberalisation into tangible developmental outcomes.
While the long term impact of the strategy will depend on implementation at national level, the Lusaka meeting reflects a continued emphasis on collective approaches to economic integration within Africa. It also highlights the role of regional institutions in mediating between continental aspirations and local realities, particularly in a context where development trajectories remain diverse.
The adoption of the strategy comes at a time when African economies are seeking to consolidate recovery pathways while advancing structural transformation. By situating regional integration within a broader continental vision, COMESA’s latest initiative contributes to ongoing efforts to shape an African centred approach to trade and development, grounded in cooperation, agency and shared priorities.
