The African Union’s Partnership for Infrastructure Development (PITD) has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a consultancy firm to develop a comprehensive Action Plan for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The consultancy will play a critical role in shaping the operational roadmap necessary for the continent-wide trade agreement to achieve its economic integration goals.
According to the call, the selected consultant will work closely with AU departments, regional economic communities, and member states to harmonize trade policies, streamline customs frameworks, and strengthen cross-border logistics systems. The Action Plan will also cover digital trade facilitation, capacity building, and the removal of non-tariff barriers.
The objective is to create a fully functional continental market that boosts intra-African trade, enhances industrial competitiveness, and attracts major foreign investment. The consultancy will develop timelines, implementation strategies, monitoring frameworks, and performance indicators for the effective rollout of AfCFTA programs.
Trade experts emphasize that without a strong Action Plan, the AfCFTA’s potential projected to increase intra-African trade by 52% by 2030 may not be fully realized. The consultancy is therefore seen as a foundational step toward unlocking Africa’s industrial and economic transformation.
The deadline for submissions is expected to attract major policy consultancies, development economists, and trade specialists across the continent.