Eminent expert available on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

As the African Continental Free Trade Area  (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area in the world, approaches its one-month implementation milestone on February 1, your audiences may benefit from insights from Professor Landry Signé, Ph.D. on the AfCFTA and its emergence for continental and global trade in the context of COVID-19, global recession, trade wars, and the retreat of multilateralism. 

Landry Signé is a world-renowned scholar and leading practitioner in the areas of African political economy and business, global leadership and governance, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and emerging markets. He is a Senior Fellow at Brookings, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a senior adviser to top global leaders, and author of numerous books, including Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential: Trends, Opportunities, Risks, and Strategies. A list of links to recent articles and op-eds is below for your convenience. He speaks English and French.

If you are interested in speaking or corresponding with Dr. Signé, please contact me or his graduate assistant, Julia Goldstein, to coordinate. Thank you.

 

Jonathan Ward

Associate Director, Media Relations  

Thunderbird School of Global Management

Arizona State University |

m: +1 480.490.9773 > Apply today   > Refer a Future Thunderbird #FutureReady | #GlobalInnovators | thunderbird.asu.edu

[email protected]

 

 

Interview contact: 

Julia Goldstein, Graduate Assistant

Office of Professor Landry Signé, PhD

[email protected]

 

SELECTED MEDIA, OP-EDS, AND BLOGS

Covid-19 is accelerating multilateralism in Africa. The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage (July 28, 2020). https://wapo.st/3neQI1y

How the AfCFTA will improve access to ‘essential products’ and bolster Africa’s resilience to respond to future pandemics. Africa in Focus, Brookings (April 30, 2020). https://brook.gs/35qy0OP

Nigeria’s Benin border closure is an early warning sign for the African free trade deal’s optimism. Quartz Africa (November 2, 2019). https://bit.ly/3okMSFE

The high growth promise of an integrated Africa. Project Syndicate (August 2, 2019). https://brook.gs/39t1GuS

Africa’s industrialization under the Continental Free Trade Area: Local strategies for global competitiveness. Africa in Focus, Brookings Institution (June 4, 2019). https://brook.gs/39fbb1k

Africa’s emerging economies to take the lead in consumer market growth. Africa in Focus, Brookings Institution (April 3, 2019). https://brook.gs/2MMF5zK 

SELECTED BOOKS, REPORTS, AND PAPERS

BOOK – Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential: Trends, Opportunities, Risks, and Strategies. (Brookings Institution Press 2020: Released on April 28, 2020). https://brook.gs/35bL07H

REPORT – Keys to Success for the AfCFTA Negotiations. (Brookings Africa Growth Initiative. Co-authored with Colette van der Ven). https://brook.gs/2ub2BQy

JOURNAL ARTICLE – Considerations for Rules of Origin under the AfCFTA. (Journal of African Trade. Co-authored with Payce Madden). https://bit.ly/3hC6Qcl 

SELECTED KEYNOTES AND SPEECHES

African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (South Africa, Virtual): Keynote speech on “The Critical Role of Women in Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential.” (December 2, 2020). https://bit.ly/3pZ8M1z  

Nazaru (USA, Virtual): Speech on “The AfCFTA: Opportunities for Africans, Foreign Investors and Diaspora.” (October 6, 2020). https://youtu.be/iB62xkq9kYI

Thunderbird School of Global Management (USA, Virtual): Speech on. “Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential: The Critical Role of Women.” (September 29, 2020). https://vimeo.com/463934267

German Development Institute (Germany, Virtual): Speech on “The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its implications for EU-AU economic cooperation.” (June 17, 2020). https://bit.ly/2JKg61A 

United States International Trade Commission (USA): Testimony on regional integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area. (July 24, 2019). https://brook.gs/2Lqpfg9

SELECTED PANELS:

The Nexus between AfCFTA and Africa’s Industrialisation. AUDA-NEPAD Africa Industrialisation Week (November 16, 2020). https://bit.ly/2JYip1k  

SELECTED CITATIONS, QUOTES, AND INTERVIEWS

CITATION: AfCFTA – Africa Readying for Free Trade Come January 2021. Kingsley Ighobor. Africa Renewal (November 30, 2020). https://bit.ly/3pUSwhY

CITATION: Africa’s Free Trade Area: What we must do for a smooth take-off on 1st July. Bitange Ndemo. Africa Renewal (March 2, 2020). https://bit.ly/2JL8Rqb

CITATION: Major world economies are becoming increasingly isolationist. Except those in Africa. Fareed Zakaria. The Washington Post (August 29, 2019). https://wapo.st/3pWO2rm

INTERVIEW (TELEVISION): Le Journal de L’Afrique. Mounia Kacem. France 24 (January 1, 2021). https://bit.ly/2L9DlTq

INTERVIEW (PODCAST): 2020 Review: How has Africa handled the big challenges? Dickens Olewe. BBC World Service Africa Today (December 31, 2020). https://bbc.in/3s6kGJ5

INTERVIEW (PODCAST): CrisisIbility and Africa’s Potential. CrisisIbility (September 18, 2020). https://bit.ly/397VHwl

INTERVIEW (PODCAST): Africa’s roadmap for long-term economic growth. Brookings Institution Dollar and Sense (June 29, 2020). https://brook.gs/35chwJE

INTERVIEW (PODCAST): How to Boost the Economies of Africa. Foreign Policy’s And Now the Hard Part (November 4, 2019). https://bit.ly/357Z9pt

INTERVIEW (PODCAST): How will the Continental Free Trade Area transform Africa? Brookings Institution The Current (May 31, 2019). https://brook.gs/3hPLOHw

INTERVIEW (RADIO): Trois économistes africains vivant aux États-Unis vous parlent. RFI’s Éco d’ici Eco d’ailleurs (July 3, 2020). https://bit.ly/2MCUBkz

QUOTE: Economic ‘game changer’? African leaders launch free-trade zone. Boureima Balima. Reuters (July 7, 2019). https://reut.rs/2Xr9YhT

QUOTE: Africa’s largest economy is finally backing the continent’s plans for a single free trade market. Yomi Kazeem. Quartz (July 3, 2019).

QUOTE: African Union launches powerful new single trading market. Dawn Kissi. Al Jazeera (May 31, 2019). https://bit.ly/3q3nk03