The African Continental Free Trade Area and the Potentials of Sub-Saharan Africa’s Regional Economic Transformation: Considerations on Strategies and Policies in Support of SMEs

Ayodotun Stephen Ibidunni (), Obaloluwa Obed Oyewo () and Ranti Falana ()
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Ayodotun Stephen Ibidunni: James Hope University, Department of Innovation, Intrapreneurship, and Entrepreneurship
Obaloluwa Obed Oyewo: James Hope University, Department of Innovation, Intrapreneurship, and Entrepreneurship
Ranti Falana: James Hope University, Department of Innovation, Intrapreneurship, and Entrepreneurship

A chapter in Economic Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa, Volume I, 2026, pp 259-278 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Since the signing of the AfCFTA, there has been increased research attention on the effective implementation of the treaty. Identified to be the biggest global treaty after the World Trade Organization (WTO), the AfCFTA has received little in-depth analysis of its performance mainly due to reasons relating to (i) the newness of the treaty, therefore, requiring more time for a trend analysis that truly measures its impacts, and (ii) the scarceness of and insufficient data that limit the accessibility of data relating to activities surrounding the treaty and its impact so far since the signing. Our study adopts the Integrative Review methodology to synthesize the existing literature on AfCFTA and to extend our knowledge of the treaty, especially concerning the strategies and policies that can support the active participation of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in enriching the regional economic development. The study’s findings and discussions embody four main thematic areas that sufficiently contribute to SDG 8 and SDG 9 namely, strategies and policy directions, that are critical to SMEs positioning within the AfCFTA, policies, and integration of SMEs in regional value chains, theoretical residency of SMEs economic positioning in AfCFTA investigations, and the interconnectedness between trade liberalization, economic development, and SMEs. Theoretical as well as policy and managerial implications are discussed.

Keywords: AfCFTA; SMEs; Economic transformation; Africa; SDG 8; SDG 9 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-77821-6_9

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