The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the latest establishment by the African Union, can bring significant benefits for both higher education and labor mobility. Students and workers will be able to travel efficiently and benefit from support programs.
The idea behind the free trade area is to ease the regulation and requirements for member countries so that citizens can quickly move around between countries in search of a better education or workplace.
According to a recent preliminary report, AfCFTA will help the cooperation and relations between members, which in turn will help African countries to benefit from best practices across the union. Not only that, but universities and labor market participants will be able to communicate efficiently, and to process less documentation when it comes to transfers and exchanges.
AfCFTA focuses on mobility benefits
While some countries like the United Kingdom are looking to get away from free trade agreements and regulations, hence Brexit, other countries are looking to help each other mutually. This is the point behind AfCFTA, as it will allow the member countries of the African Union to move around the territory without having to pass through detailed customs checks.
Free trade agreements bring numerous benefits not only for people’s ability to move around but also the transportation of goods. As the transport of products becomes more accessible and cheaper, the end price which customers have to pay for it drops as well.
Higher education and labor mobility are essential factors for the development of a functional and forward-thinking society, which makes AfCFTA a significant step forward in the right direction for the African Union.
