DevDispatch Podcast

Welcome to this installment of the DevDispatch Podcast!

In this episode, Olusegun Olutayo - a member of the technical team that supports the National Action Committee in Nigeria, delves into the intricacies of establishing and operating National Implementation Committees within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

The reference publication for the discussion is "AfCFTA National Implementation Committees: Scoping Options and Support Mechanisms," released in 2023 by the ODI.

The report serves as a valuable resource offering detailed guidance on how countries can navigate the complexities of trade policy implementation under the AfCFTA framework.

In this episode, we are joined by Labor Activists Prince Asafo-Adjei and Florence Taruvinga to discuss implications of the AfCFTA for the manufacturing sector in Ghana.

The discussion draws from  Chapter 5 and 6 of the report 'Implications of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement for the manufacturing sector in Ghana,' published in November 2021 by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa). It focuses on the potential impact of AfCFTA on employment and workers' rights in Ghana, highlighting the need for policies to ensure that workers benefit from the agreement as well as the role of trade unions in supporting the manufacturing sector under AfCFTA, including the need for capacity building and advocacy for workers' rights.

Enjoy it!

This podcast episode features Emily Mburu-Ndoria - Director, Trade in Services, Investment, IPR and Digital Trade - AfCFTA Secretariat, who joins our hostRumbidzai Venge to discuss the report titled Digital trade regulatory environment: Opportunities for regulatory harmonization in Africa. 

Some of the main themes of the report include:

• The significance of domestic policies, such as data and consumer protection laws, in creating a favorable environment for digital trade. 
• The role of international agreements, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) Reference Paper on Telecommunications and UNCITRAL Model Laws on Electronic Commerce and Electronic Signatures, in enhancing cross-border interoperability. 

The report introduces a beta version of the digital trade policy index, which aims to summarize the policy environment on digital trade in various countries and more!

Our expert guest breaks down topics including the current state of Digital Trade in Africa encompassing the challenges and opportunities, regulatory frameworks, the Digital Trade Index and potential opportunities for regulatory harmonization in Africa's digital trade regulatory environment.

The episode was recorded before adoption of the digital trade protocol under the AfCFTA.

We hope you find this episode insightful!

This podcast episode features Susan Nakaleya, a business analyst at the Uganda Revenue Authority. The discussion centers on Chapter 4 of the publication The Engine of Trade in Africa Report: Amplifying the Voices of Women Across Africa, which focuses on the challenges facing women in trade.

It is a joint publication of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women. 

The objectives of this episode include:

• To contextualize the report within the current debates on women in trade: Does it address the key issues? Are there other critical aspects that need further exploration?
• To analyze the challenges facing women in trade across Africa as highlighted in the report.
• To propose key suggestions for the development of the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade (WYIT).
• To discuss the recommendations put forward in the report and offer additional strategies to enhance the inclusion of women in the AfCFTA framework.

You can download the publication here

We hope you enjoy this episode and find it insightful!

This episode focuses on a 2023 policy brief from the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute, titled 'Movement of person opening up Africa for Africans: A proposal in support of the protocol for the free movement of persons.' The policy brief  examines significant obstacles to implementing the Free Movement of Persons Protocol (FMP) in Africa. Guests include co-author of the brief, Silindile Nanzile Mlilo and Kachi Madubuko, Senior Policy and Liaison Officer at the International Organization for Migration, with the discussion moderated by Rumbidzai Venge. The conversation covers various topics, including:

• Barriers impeding the progress of the FMP;
• The African Union's initiative to launch a common AU passport in 2016;
• Factors contributing to the slow ratification process of the protocol;
• How smaller economic groups, like the EAC, have quickly advanced in promoting free movement;
• The impact of security and job concerns on implementation, and whether the AfCFTA can succeed without the FMP. 
• Potential benefits of less restrictive mobility rules for entrepreneurs highlighted in the policy brief and more!

We hope you find this episode insightful!

This edition of the DevDispatch AfCFTA Podcast is centred  on the publication  "Making the AfCFTA Work for Women in the Agri-food Sector." The AfCFTA aims to boost economic growth and development by creating a single market for goods and services across Africa. However, for success to be realised, the Agreement must be inclusive and responsive to the needs of all, including women and youth. 

Our host Rumbidzai Venge is joined by Customs and International Trade Expert Edna Mudzingwa, and co-author of the publication and an expert in trade and gender issues, Asmita Parshotam to break down:

• Trade facilitation provisions under the AfCFTA and how they can support and improve trade regimes for women in the Agri-food sector.
• Policy recommendations to promote and strengthen gender-responsive negotiation and implementation of trade facilitation under the AfCFTA, to meet the needs of and boost opportunities for African women in the agri-food sector.

The featured report was produced by International Trade Centre, and the Food and Agriculture Organization and can be downloaded at the link below:

https://www.fao.org/3/cc5866en/cc5866en.pdf

In this podcast episode, our guests Dr. Bruce Byiers (Head of African Economic Integration at ECDPM) and Prachi Agarwal (Senior Research Officer at the International Economic Development Group, ODI) discuss the global business and investment landscape in Africa, under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Broadcaster and Lawyer Rumbidzai Venge serves as the moderator for the episode.

The discussion draws from the publication 'AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in Africa.' by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the World Economic Forum. 

The publication is available for download at the link below:
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Friends_of_the_Africa_Continental_Free_Trade_Area_2023.pdf

This episode is centered on a discussion on the Guidelines for developing AfCFTA national strategies with a focus on Malawi's AfCFTA implementation strategy. Featured guests include Entrepreneur, Strategist and Business analyst Charles Henry Nyekanyeka, and Batanai Chikwene who is a Programme Management Officer at the African Trade Policy Center, with Tanatsiwa Dambuza from the DevDispatch serving as the  host.

The discussion draws from the publication "AfCFTA National Implementation Committees: scoping options and support mechanisms," by the AfCFTA Secretariat and ODI.

You can access the report here: https://media.odi.org/documents/ODI-AfCFTA-Report-18Apr23-FINAL.pdf

We invited Director of ODI's International Economic Development Group Dr Dirk Willem te Velde to share his insights on UK trade investment in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area ( AfCFTA) with our host Rumbidzai Venge. The discussion is centered on the ODI publication titled Africa’s economic integration and prospects for UK investors, which he co-authored.

You can access the publication here

We hope you enjoy this episode!

In this episode, Cynthia Nyam from the DevDispatch hosts Trade Policy, Regional Integration and Digital Economy expert Beru Lilako, and Trade Law and Policy Advisor for GIZ Ethiopia and Djibouti, Biruh Gemeda Gage, to break down the report titled Conditions for Success in the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement by AUDA-NEPAD.

On Success Conditions for AfCFTA Implementation, they discuss:

• Political Leadership
• Tariffs under the AfCFTA 
• Harmonizing with RECs and the WTO
• Monitoring and Measuring the AfCFTA for Successful Implementation.

You can access the full report here