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 ...

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 potentia...

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 i...

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 contex...

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 Offic...