The successful implementation of the AfCFTA calls for urgent action to drive reforms at all levels of government, according to the ECA’s Economic Report on Africa (ERA) launched during the Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development – COM 2025.

The report calls for targeted industrial policies, investment in productive capacity, and support for SMEs. This will help Africa to develop robust value chains in key sectors such as agro-processing, automotive, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy.

Governments must also streamline customs procedures and adopt digital technologies, such as blockchain and electronic data processing, to reduce trade costs and improve efficiency.

This underlines the need for increased investments in digital infrastructure such as broadband networks, data centres, and internet exchange points.

Advancing the free movement of people, goods and capital across borders will be supported by initiatives like the Single African Air Transport Market and the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System.

Investing in sustainable urban development to manage the challenges of rapid urbanization is another strategic imperative for policymakers.

In her presentation on the report, Hanan Morsy, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, challenged leaders to think critically about the AfCFTA’s social dimensions.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has concluded a historic two-day visit to Somalia, his first official visit to the country since taking office.

During his visit, the Chairperson made an urgent appeal to the international community, highlighting critical funding shortfalls for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and called for renewed commitment to the country’s peace and stabilization efforts.

In a joint press briefing with Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at Villa Somalia, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf pledged to engage with Somalia’s international partners and emphasized the importance of sustained support.

“I have already started in Addis Ababa to speak to some of our partners so that Somalia is not abandoned. Somalia remains the centre of interest of the international community,” he said.

He added that the African Union peace mission in Somalia is in a transition period. “I want to underline here that these challenges can be overcome but we need commitment, we need engagement, and we need the support of the international community”.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), is organizing a regional workshop in Mombasa, Kenya from 26 to 27 March 2025 to review and validate a consolidated report on enhancing free movement of persons, labour mobility, and skills portability in Africa.

The event forms part of a joint ECA-AUC project aimed at promoting regular migration pathways across the continent and addressing institutional and policy barriers that limit labour mobility.

Focused on Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia, the report distills findings from national studies and stakeholder consultations, with practical recommendations for advancing implementation of the AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and aligning it with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Participants will include government officials, migration experts, civil society representatives, regional bodies, and international partners. The two-day workshop will also serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and strengthening momentum toward the ratification and operationalization of the Free Movement Protocol.

A new mobile application is poised to enhance management of grievances at Regional Flagship Technical and Vocational Institutions in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania supported by the World Bank through the Eastern Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP).

The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), the Regional Facilitation Unit (RFU) for EASTRIP, is coordinating the development and implementation of this centralized Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) mobile app.

The development of the Mobile App comes at a time when technical and vocational education institutes are implementing various infrastructure projects, as part of EASTRIP, that require continuous tracking of grievances and complaints associated with project implementation.

The GRM App is a result of a collaborative effort between Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) and IUCEA. DIT is one of the Regional Flagship TVET Institute in ICT that is supported by EASTRIP. The mobile app is designed to be more convenient for application by all project stakeholders.

Speaking at the Validation Workshop in held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr. Cosam Joseph, the Regional Coordinator for EASTRIP, said: “The workshop is important in gathering feedback, discussing necessary improvements, and establishing a timeline for the app’s complete operationalization”.