AIA PARTNERS
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
The Economic Community of West African States, also known as ECOWAS was established on May 28, 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos. The primary mission was to promote economic integration across the sub-Saharan region. ECOWAS member countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo. The stated goal of ECOWAS is to advance to achieve economic integration and cooperation as a single large trading union for collective self-sufficiency for its member states…
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
The Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC), established on April 1, 1980 gave birth to the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Actually, the SADCC was transformed into the SADC on August 17, 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia where the SADC Treaty was adopted and SADC established as a cooperative umbrella among Member States – from a loose SADCC association into a legally binding SADC arrangement. The main objectives of SADC according to Article 5 of the SADC 1992 Treaty are: (a) to achieve development, peace and security, and economic growth, (b) to alleviate poverty and…
African Union (AU)
The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) is a union of the following five North African countries: Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania with the aim of representing the region’s economic interests, promote economic and cultural cooperation, and cultivate mutual commercial exchanges in order to foster economic and political integration and the creation of a North African Common Market. The Union was established on February 17, 1989 when the treaty was signed by the member states in Marrakech. The main objectives of the AMU treaty are to strengthen all ties among member states in order to ensure regional stability and enhance policy coordination,…
African Development Bank (AfDB)
African Development Bank was officially founded in 1964 but the Agreement establishing the African Development Bank was adopted and opened for signature at the Khartoum, Sudan, conference on August 4, 1963: the agreement entered into force on September 10, 1964. Originally, the bank’s capital stock was subscribed be African States. In order to expand its capital base non-African members have been accepted beginning in 1983. Actually, the bank started gaining momentum in the 1980s. All independent countries on the African continent are now members of the Bank, including South Africa assumption of membership in 1995. The primary objective is to contribute to the economic and social development of its regional member countries (RMCs) – individually and collectively…
East African Community (EAC)
The work of the EAC is guided by its Treaty which established the Community. It was signed on 30 November 1999 and entered into force on 7 July 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States – Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18 June 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from 1 July 2007. The Republic of South Sudan acceded to the Treaty on 15 April 2016 and become a full Member on 15 August 2016. Today, the East African Community (EAC) has six (6) Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. It is structured into seven main organs:…
Economic community of Central Africa States (ECCAS)
The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) was established on October 18, 1983 by members of UDEAC, Sao Tome and Principe and members of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries, Zaire, Burundi and Rwanda following an agreement by leaders of the UDEAC and the Economic Community of the Great Lakes States (CEPGL) to form a wider economic community of Central African States. Angola remained an observer until 1999, when it became a full member. In the same year, ECCAS was formally designated into the African Economic Community as one of the eight pillars of the African Union…
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) emerged in 1994 to replace defunct Preferential Trade Area (PTA) of the eighties. The main focus is the collaboration and promotion of a large economic and trading unit that is capable of overcoming some of the barriers that are faced by individual states. To advance growth, COMESA’s strategy is Economic Prosperity Through Regional Integration (EPTRI) and that is the Promotion of Regional Integration through Trade and Investment: integration through trade and the development of natural and human resources for the mutual benefit of all people in the region (Inclusive Growth)…
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) is a union of the following five North African countries: Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania with the aim of representing the region’s economic interests, promote economic and cultural cooperation, and cultivate mutual commercial exchanges in order to foster economic and political integration and the creation of a North African Common Market. The Union was established on February 17, 1989 when the treaty was signed by the member states in Marrakech. The main objectives of the AMU treaty are to strengthen all ties among member states in order to ensure regional stability and enhance policy coordination,…