Nigeria launched the Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) Country Implementation Forum in Abuja on July 29 to speed up implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade. National Coordinator Mrs. Patience Okala called it a major…
Friday, October 09, 2026 Introduction Africa’s textile industrialisation challenge begins with a paradox. The continent has an important agricultural resource base, produces cotton across multiple countries and possesses a large potential consumer and labour market, yet much of the value…
Tuesday, October 06, 2026 Introduction For much of the African textile and apparel industry, sustainability has traditionally been seen as a compliance issue where international buyers ask suppliers to demonstrate responsible production, environmental management, labour standards, traceability, and evidence of…
Monday, October 05, 2026 Introduction On paper, AfCFTA establishes the framework for creating a larger continental market. It seeks to reduce tariffs, address non-tariff barriers, facilitate trade and create conditions for greater regional economic integration. For Africa’s textile and apparel…
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 Introduction Few issues in Africa’s textile economy generate as much debate as the trade in second-hand clothing. The debate is often framed as a choice between two competing positions. One argues that second-hand clothing imports undermine…
This is the industrial-policy question at the heart of the debate. Rules of Origin can be viewed narrowly as mechanisms for preventing products from outside a free-trade area from entering through the lowest-tariff member and receiving preferential treatment. But they…
This is where Rules of Origin become particularly strategic for the CTA sector. The textile and apparel industry requires a sequence of transformations from Cotton → Fibre → Yarn → Fabric → Dyeing/Finishing → Garment → Market The location of…
A continental market does not automatically translate into preferential trade for every African manufacturer. For a product to receive preferential treatment under AfCFTA, it must satisfy the applicable Rules of Origin. The AfCFTA Rules of Origin framework provides criteria for…
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 Introduction Africa’s textile and apparel industry does not suffer from a complete absence of market opportunity. African producers have access to regional markets through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while eligible countries have benefited…
Thursday, September 17, 2026 How digital origin verification, interoperable customs systems, and better trade data could reduce transaction costs and strengthen regional textile and apparel value chains. Introduction Rules of Origin establish the conditions under which a product can be…