The 2025 Africa Integration Report was officially launched on the margins of the 8th Session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration. The Report serves as a key decision-support tool to monitor and advance Africa’s integration agenda. It provides an assessment of the performance of AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), supports evidence-based policymaking, and identifies both achievements and persistent challenges. Drawing on the African Synthesized Regional Integration Index (ASRII), the Report highlights areas of progress, underscores the gaps that remain, and outlines the structural reforms required to deepen regional and continental integration while accelerating the objectives of Agenda 2063.

Speaking at the launch, H.E. Mrs. Francisca Tatchouop Belobe, Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Integration and Minerals, emphasized the pressing need to bridge the gap between ambition and implementation. “This Report reminds us that too often, our implementation lags our ambition. Intra-African trade still stands at under 16–18%. Protocols on free movement remain under-ratified. Industrialization and value addition are still in their infancy. Without implementation, regional frameworks remain promises on paper,” she said.

The Report further highlights Africa’s gradual yet tangible progress over the past two decades. Integration has been advanced through landmark frameworks such as the Abuja Treaty, Agenda 2063, and flagship initiatives including the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), and most recently, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Intra-African trade now accounts for almost 16% of total trade, compared to less than 10% two decades ago. Yet disparities persist across RECs, with some progressing towards customs unions and service liberalization, while others lag due to infrastructure bottlenecks, uneven political will, and limited statistical capacity.

Chairing the launch panel, Professor Mthuli Ncube, Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion of Zimbabwe, called on Member States to prioritize the Protocol on Free Movement of People, noting that it is vital to unlocking AfCFTA’s potential and facilitating cross-border investment. His call was echoed by Dr. Jean-Denis Gabikini, AUC Head of Integration and Trade, who stressed that the Protocol, adopted in 2018, has not yet reached the minimum threshold of ratification required for entry into force.

Beyond trade, the Report underscores the urgent need to strengthen governance and peace as the foundations of integration, accelerate AfCFTA implementation, invest in shared infrastructure, and place Africa’s citizens particularly youth and women at the centre of integration efforts. It also recognizes the external headwinds Africa faces in 2025, including global protectionism, rising debt, shrinking development assistance, and the need to harness digital transformation to unlock new opportunities for commerce and innovation.

The 2025 Africa Integration Report reaffirms Africa’s vision of building an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful continent, and provides actionable recommendations to ensure that continental frameworks move from aspiration to concrete results. The report was  produced under the coordination of the AUC with the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU) through the EU-TAF Programme, and the German Government implemented by (GIZ).

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Ms. Faith Adhiambo | Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail ochiengj@africanunion.org