In August 2025, South African political leader Julius Malema reignited a bold idea: the unification of Africa under a single president, currency, military, and parliament. Speaking passionately, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) argued that a “United Africa” could stand as a global superpower, on par with the United States of America. While such a vision seems far-fetched today, it is neither new nor impossible. In fact, it is deeply rooted in Africa’s political history, and its potential may lie not in politics alone, but in economics—specifically, in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Historical Roots of Pan-African Unity
The idea of a “United States of Africa” dates back to the 1950s, when Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence. Its founding president, Kwame Nkrumah, during his independence address, declared that Ghana’s independence was “meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.” He envisioned not just political freedom, but continental unity—a vision he shared with fellow Pan-Africanists like Patrice Lumumba and Frantz Fanon.
In 1958, Nkrumah hosted the All-African Peoples’ Conference in Accra, where representatives from across the continent and diaspora met to strategise the end of colonial rule. During this event, he proposed bold measures: a common foreign policy, borderless trade, harmonised governance systems, and, most importantly, African countries trading more with each other rather than with their former colonial rulers.
While such a vision seems far-fetched today, it is neither new nor impossible.
Despite his efforts, Nkrumah’s dream was diluted. In 1963, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was formed as a compromise between radical and moderate Pan-Africanists. While it provided valuable support in the liberation struggles of countries such as Angola, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, the organisation struggled to assert a truly united African voice, particularly during the Cold War era.
Later, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi revived the idea of African unity at an extraordinary summit of OAU heads of state. On 9 September 1999, at the Sirte Summit, Gaddafi articulated his vision of a borderless “United States of Africa”, which contributed to the creation of the African Union (AU) in 2002, aimed at modernising and strengthening continental cooperation. While Gaddafi advocated forcefully for a single African government, his proposals were met with caution. His death in 2011 stalled momentum, and the vision of a politically united Africa faded once again.
Economic Union as a Realistic First Step
A political union of Africa may seem far off, but an economic union is feasible and already underway. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), launched in 2019, is the most ambitious integration initiative since the AU’s founding. It aims to create a single market of 1.3 billion people and potentially generate an additional US$450 billion in income by 2035.
AfCFTA is a powerful tool that can transform Africa from a collection of fragmented economies into a cohesive economic bloc. If implemented effectively, it can address one of Nkrumah’s major concerns: Africa’s reliance on exporting raw materials to foreign markets instead of strengthening intra-African trade. By reducing tariffs, harmonising regulations, and enabling free movement of goods and services, AfCFTA lays the foundation for a truly integrated African economy.
AfCFTA is a powerful tool that can transform Africa from a collection of fragmented economies into a cohesive economic bloc.
However, progress has been slow. As of 2025, 48 out of 55 AU member states had ratified the agreement and full tariff elimination is not expected before 2034. Political hesitation, weak infrastructure, and bureaucratic bottlenecks are major barriers.
Turning Vision into Action
To move closer to a political union, African leaders must take concrete steps—beyond rhetoric and diplomacy. First, they must reframe unity not as a political fantasy, but as a necessary response to the continent’s current challenges. A unified approach to trade, infrastructure, education, and innovation is not optional; it is essential.
Rather than making frequent tours to foreign capitals in search of piecemeal aid or symbolic agreements, African leaders may redirect their energy toward building continental institutions and infrastructure. The continent needs cross-border transport corridors, Africa-wide energy interconnections, green industrial parks, and regional universities of excellence. These projects may require foreign investment, but the agenda must remain African-led.
To project unity and protect sovereignty, African countries must treat the African Union as their primary forum for international engagement. In 2020, the AU Assembly passed Decision 762 (XXXIII), which limited external partnership summits to a streamlined delegation. The goal was to reduce costs, promote dignity, and reinforce collective agency. Yet, this decision has been widely ignored. Leaders still travel en masse to Tokyo, Beijing, and Washington, often with more enthusiasm than they show at AU Summits.
This symbolic imbalance undermines the African Union’s credibility. Instead, the AU may host a continental summit where world leaders are invited to Africa to engage with the continent on its own terms. In a world shaped by new power blocs and strategic resources such as critical minerals and digital infrastructure, Africa must redefine its role rather than continue to have it defined by others.
The Role of AfCFTA
AfCFTA can serve as the cornerstone of a more united Africa, not just economically but with possible long-term political implications. By fostering deeper interdependence among African nations, it seeks to build trust, institutional capacity, and economic resilience. These are the building blocks needed for more ambitious integration in the future—perhaps one day even a shared currency or central African institutions with real authority.
AfCFTA can serve as the cornerstone of a more united Africa, not just economically but with possible long-term political implications.
For this to happen, however, implementation must be accelerated. Countries must invest in digital customs systems, streamline border processes, and prioritise local production. Youth entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, and pan-African investment platforms should be supported across borders.
Moreover, AfCFTA must not remain an elite-driven agenda. Citizens must see its benefits through job creation, affordable goods, and better access to services. Only then will the idea of a politically united Africa become not just a leader’s dream, but a people’s demand.
Africa does not lack resources. It has the youth, the markets, and the minerals to lead progress in the 21st century. What it lacks is a sustained unity of purpose. Until African leaders prioritise collective progress over individual photo opportunities abroad, the continent’s destiny will continue to be negotiated elsewhere.
A politically united Africa may be decades away. But an economically integrated Africa, backed by strong leadership, coordinated policies, and visionary action, is within reach. The question is not whether Africa can unite, but whether its leaders are finally ready to lead that charge from within.
Samir Bhattacharya is an Associate Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.
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