Enabling Regional Integration In Central Africa

Authors: Dr Salim Vessah, Dr Stephane Mbiankeu, Dr Wiranjing Awal, Dr Adeline Nembot, Larissa Ntoubia, Dr Julienne Mesumbe, Dr Julienne Mesumbe, Prof Pooran Pandey and Dr Denis Foretia

Published on: September 11, 2026

DOI: 

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Executive Summary

Central Africa stands at a critical juncture in its regional integration and development trajectory. While the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers unprecedented opportunities to expand markets, foster industrialization, and strengthen economic resilience, Central Africa remains one of the least integrated regions on the continent. Despite multiple overlapping regional institutions and treaty frameworks (notably ECCAS and CEMAC), intra-regional trade remains below 2 percent of total exports, infrastructure connectivity is weak, and productive value chains are largely absent. The central challenge is not a lack of ambition, but a persistent gap between formal integration commitments and functional economic outcomes.

This flagship report argues that Central Africa must shift from formal, treaty-based integration to functional integration, an approach that prioritizes tangible reductions in transaction costs, reliable infrastructure, and institutional delivery over legal harmonization alone. Fragmentation in the region is multidimensional, encompassing political economy constraints linked to resource dependence, institutional duplication between ECCAS and CEMAC, infrastructure deficits, and weak enforcement of regional commitments. These factors mutually reinforce a low-integration equilibrium that limits competitiveness, investment, and diversification.

The report identifies energy integration as a strategic entry point for transformation. Reliable and affordable electricity is a binding constraint on trade competitiveness, industrial upgrading, and regional value chain development. Regional electricity markets, anchored in cross-border transmission, harmonized regulation, and coordinated planning can lower production costs, improve system reliability, and enable energy-intensive activities under the AfCFTA. Comparative experience, notably from West Africa, demonstrates that such markets are achievable through phased implementation, strong institutions, and sustained political commitment. To unlock these gains, the report proposes actionable policy pathways centered on targeted sectoral integration, accelerated CEMAC-ECCAS convergence, operationalization of the Central African Power Pool, and scaled use of blended and climate finance for regional infrastructure.