Yakubu Nagu has been a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA), since 2024. He holds a master’s degree in international trade law and a doctorate in commercial law, as well as an LLB in public and international law from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, where he is admitted to practise as an attorney. His work spans international economic and trade law and African regional integration, approached through a law-and-development lens. His research on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) contributes to Law and Development studies by introducing an African-integration-focused analytical model for assessing the continent’s regional trade initiatives and their developmental potential. Dr Nagu teaches on master’s degree programmes, supervises postgraduate students, and maintains an active interest in other areas of law such as, technology law, artificial intelligence, African comparative legal studies and African history. He has served as a guest lecturer at tertiary institutions and postgraduate programmes in various parts of the world.

• 1. Context Setting: The AfCFTA and Development Perspectives 2. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Initiative: An Attempt at Advancing Development Through Integration 3. The AfCFTA and West Africa’s Powerhouse: Nigeria 4. The AfCFTAInitiative: Case Study of Kenya’s Attempt at Optimising the Gains5. Legal Frameworks and Institutions for AfCFTA: A Case Study of Ethiopia6. Concluding Reflections

Yakubu Nagu has been a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA), since 2024. He holds a master’s degree in international trade law and a doctorate in commercial law, as well as an LLB in public and international law from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, where he is admitted to practise as an attorney. His work spans international economic and trade law and African regional integration, approached through a law-and-development lens. His research on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) contributes to Law and Development studies by introducing an African-integration-focused analytical model for assessing the continent’s regional trade initiatives and their developmental potential. Dr Nagu teaches on master’s degree programmes, supervises postgraduate students, and maintains an active interest in other areas of law such as, technology law, artificial intelligence, African comparative legal studies and African history. He has served as a guest lecturer at tertiary institutions and postgraduate programmes in various parts of the world.

• 1. Context Setting: The AfCFTA and Development Perspectives 2. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Initiative: An Attempt at Advancing Development Through Integration 3. The AfCFTA and West Africa’s Powerhouse: Nigeria 4. The AfCFTAInitiative: Case Study of Kenya’s Attempt at Optimising the Gains5. Legal Frameworks and Institutions for AfCFTA: A Case Study of Ethiopia6. Concluding Reflections

Yakubu Nagu has been a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA), since 2024. He holds a master’s degree in international trade law and a doctorate in commercial law, as well as an LLB in public and international law from the University of Abuja, Nigeria, where he is admitted to practise as an attorney. His work spans international economic and trade law and African regional integration, approached through a law-and-development lens. His research on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) contributes to Law and Development studies by introducing an African-integration-focused analytical model for assessing the continent’s regional trade initiatives and their developmental potential. Dr Nagu teaches on master’s degree programmes, supervises postgraduate students, and maintains an active interest in other areas of law such as, technology law, artificial intelligence, African comparative legal studies and African history. He has served as a guest lecturer at tertiary institutions and postgraduate programmes in various parts of the world.

• 1. Context Setting: The AfCFTA and Development Perspectives 2. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Initiative: An Attempt at Advancing Development Through Integration 3. The AfCFTA and West Africa’s Powerhouse: Nigeria 4. The AfCFTAInitiative: Case Study of Kenya’s Attempt at Optimising the Gains5. Legal Frameworks and Institutions for AfCFTA: A Case Study of Ethiopia6. Concluding Reflections