Reasons why Africa has been unable to achieve full economic integration

Reasons why Africa has been unable to achieve full economic integration

1. The problem of poor transport and communication has impeded the flow of trade. This has affected all previous and existing economic groupings.
2. There is an uneven distribution of resources in Africa. Some countries are endowed with strategic natural resources like oil and fertile soils while others are impoverished with no resources. This hinders integration.
3. All member states of economic cooperation suffer from budgetary deficits and balance of payment problems. They therefore lack the adequate foreign exchange required for international trade.
4. There is constant political interference by unenlightened leaders
5. There has been rivalry among member states of trading co-operations.
6. Africa has had a poor share of world trade as prices on the world market are dictated by industrialized countries.
7. The advent of multi-partism after the end of the cold war and the subsequent introduction of Structural Adjustment Programmes has crippled the performance of economic integration in Africa.
8. The inability of member states to interfere in the internal affairs of other states even where there is a need.
9. Failure by member states to contribute fully to the organizations.
10. The colonial legacy. Many member states still depend heavily on the West for manufactured goods, machinery, technology, donations, and ideas.