The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) is a free trade agreement between three African Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This agreement creates a free trade area between 29 African countries, covering about 60% of the continent’s population and combining their total gross domestic product (GDP). This is will bring together about 626 million customers (approximately 8 percent of the world’s population). 

From Monday, January 23^rd to Tuesday, January 24^th 2023, trade experts from seventeen countries under the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Agreement met in Nairobi, Kenya for the Tripartite Trade Negotiation Forum (TTNF). The experts reviewed progress made on various key issues needed to make the TFTA operational and unlock enhanced trade and investment opportunities. This is intended to benefit the 29 COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Member States. COMESA NEWS 

Policymakers ensured that the primary purpose of the agreement is to boost economic growth in the region and create a more competitive regional market. It aims to eliminate many of the trade barriers between these countries, such as tariffs, quotas and other restrictions on trade. This means that African countries will be able to take advantage of tariff-free trade, while businesses will be able to benefit from a wider variety of products. This could ultimately lead to more low-cost, high-quality products as well as improved living standards. 

The TFTA is expected to create jobs, increase income, and reduce poverty in the region. Increased trade and reduced trade barriers will lead to a larger flow of foreign direct investments into African countries. This can lead to the creation of new businesses and the expansion of existing ones, resulting in increased job opportunities and greater income for individuals. 

The TFTA also provides a unique opportunity for investment in technology and infrastructure development. By increasing competition between African countries, it may be possible to create an environment where smaller firms can access finance and resources more easily, thus making it easier for them to invest in innovation and technology. Furthermore, improved infrastructure will facilitate the smooth transportation of goods and services across African borders. This could ultimately lead to better economic growth and higher standards of living. 

Moreover, the TFTA will strengthen Africa’s relationship with other countries, creating an open and fair market for African exports. This could make the African market more attractive, resulting in increased foreign investments and access to global markets. This could result in more foreign currency entering the region, helping to strengthen and diversify African economies. 

As we prepare for the African Union (AU) Summit in happening in February 2023 at the AU Headquarters (HQ) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, let us keep in mind that the TFTA has the prospect of bringing numerous benefits to African countries. It can create jobs, increase income, reduce poverty, and encourage foreign direct investments. We as African Renaissance see the massive potential because it could improve infrastructure and technology and make African exports more attractive to foreign investors.  

We call upon the policymakers to remind our leaders as we meet at the AU HQ that we need to implement the TFTA. The TFTA will create an open and fair market that could significantly strengthen African economies. 

Every year, voices from around the world are heard calling for a future in which every pregnancy is desired. This call is loudest on World Contraception Day which is marked on the 26th of September.  

African Renaissance recognizes the importance of this day, especially for the women and girls in Africa. It is a day when we roll out campaigns to expand people’s appreciation of contraception. It is a day to inspire people to make well-informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and to exercise their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Through Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5 and the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) there is a global accord to end preventable maternal deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa lost 196,000 women and girls to maternal deaths in 2017 (UNICEF). 

It is a clear reflection of the inequalities that we face regarding access to quality health services. Our health systems are compromised to a level where we lose our women and girls to severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, complications from delivery and unsafe abortion. Our systems have to improve to safeguard the lives of our women. We need to provide education and SRH services that will safeguard the lives of our women and girls.

We call on parliamentarians to set laws and policies to protect the rights of choice. Every pregnancy should be desired and it is the responsibility of both the woman and man. The onus is equally on the woman and the man to choose whether or not to have a child. Modes of contraception are readily available for women and men. As African Renaissance, we call upon all people of reproductive age to consider a mode of contraception. Women and men need to embrace the modes of contraception that are available and accessible to them. 

We commit to continue the campaign to educate and provide access to contraception to all who need it here in Africa. 

Join us today from 10:00am (GMT) at the 1st AfWA Digital Congress. Caroline Kwamboka of African Renaissance will be taking us through a session on Tackling Gender & Social Inequalities to Advance Sanitation Rights. Register here: https://digitalevents.afwa-hq.org #GovernanceInSanitation

Every year, natural disasters affect billions of people; Millions go to bed hungry every night; Access to sanitary water is a bigger problem with each new day; More and more people are getting displaced every day. The people in the front line of the response to all these are humanitarians. They alleviate human suffering without regard to race, religion or territory.

On World Humanitarians Day, we take the time to recognise the efforts of humanitarians . This is because they also suffer and some are injured or killed in the line of duty. Their efforts save lives and help to preserve human dignity. The day is marked to raise awareness of how humanitarians try to make the world a better place.

As African Renaissance, we take today to celebrate the work of humanitarians on the African continent. Their work in conflict zones with vulnerable people, especially girls and women, is remarkable. We take their work as an inspiration to dedicate more effort to making Africa a place where people live in dignity. Their effort is a call to all of us to respond to the needs of the people who are in emergencies. 

We are committed to making policies that ease the work of humanitarians in Africa and the world. We salute all humanitarians! We appreciate that they show that one can do it alone – it takes a village!

The young people in African are the resource that has set the stage for the next phase of our Continent. These young people are at the leading edge of change. Their energy and ability to innovate makes them the unstoppable movement that will catalyze the African renaissance. 

The continent of Africa is banking on this generation to accelerate the rate at which we will achieve human rights for all. The capacity of active young citizens to bring positive change to the world is recognized. This clear “Intergeneration Solidarity: Creating a world for all ages”. It acknowledges the voice of the young people in Africa. This will help reach Generation Equality and foster collaboration between people of all ages.

We must tackle ageism! It is critical in our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The plans we make must be gender-responsive and must be inter-generational. This will in turn ensure that the issues of ageism are dealt with and everyone is able to enjoy their rights.

On this International Youth Day, the African Renaissance commits to amplify the voices of the people with the focus of achieving gender equality, health equity, sanitation rights and social protection. We commit to continue the work that is accelerating active citizenry especially among the young people in Africa.

Africa’s strength is in its people!

We believe that for Africans to be healthy and strong, our continent needs to have sustainable food sources. We must have the ability to feed ourselves adequately. The last century saw a major shift in food production on the continent. We got forced into a situation where we did not eat what we produced nor produce what we ate.

As African Renaissance, we seek to support policymakers to build strong applicable policies to make this achievable. Through such policies, we shall ensure that agro-food systems are protected to enhance health and social protection systems to accelerate human, social and economic development.

#AfricaDay2022 #FoodSustainability