Few will contest the importance of regional integration in Africa, but the reality on the ground does not match the ambition and the political declarations. In this video, ECDPM’s Bruce Byiers explains what drives and constrains regional integration and the role that regional organisations play in this.

Together with Palladium and the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi, we aimed to answer these questions. From July 2014 until February 2016, we jointly undertook the PERIA (Political economy of regional integration in Africa) project.

PERIA looks at six regional organisations: the African Union, COMESA, EAC, ECOWAS, IGAD and SADC. The case studies focus on several sectors and policy areas – including peace and security, transport and infrastructure, food security, climate change, gender, trade, energy, conservation and industrialisation.

If you are interested in Regional Integration in Africa, visit our PERIA dossier.

Music: Let There Be Light,  by Paul Nguyen. CC BY 3.0