Editorial the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (Afcfta): The Case for Accelerating the Implementation of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 in Africa

A Political Economy Analysis of Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects The signing of the agreement to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was indeed a historic moment, as described by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat. This was in his address to the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government on 21 March 2018. That solemn occasion marked the start of the Pan-African journey towards realisation of 'The Africa We Want', as envisioned in Agenda 2063, the development vision of the continent. Once fully operational, the AfCFTA will create the largest integrated market in the world, with 1.2 billion people and a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$2.5 trillion.