A LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF RULES OF ORIGIN ON THE SUCCESS OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA (AFCTA

This paper critically examined the impact of Rules of Origin (RoO) on the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with a specific focus on Nigeria.The AfCFTA, as a flagship project of the African Union"s Agenda 2063, seeks to enhance intra-African trade and industrialization by creating a unified continental market.However, the effectiveness of this initiative largely depends on the design, clarity, and implementation of RoO, which determine product eligibility for preferential tariffs.Adopting a doctrinal methodology, this paper analyzed the AfCFTA"s rules of origin, identify legal gaps, and propose reforms for effective trade integration.The paper through the doctrinal research methodology highlighted how complex or restrictive rules of origin can impede trade facilitation, increase compliance burdens, and marginalize less industrialized economies like Nigeria.It further explored the challenges of customs administration, infrastructural deficits, and regulatory weaknesses that hinder Nigeria"s capacity to fully exploit AfCFTA"s benefits.The paper observed that properly crafted RoO can stimulate industrial transformation, prevent trade deflection, and foster regional value chain integration.It concluded by positing that the success of AfCFTA in Nigeria hinges on balancing trade liberalization with institutional readiness and industrial competitiveness and recommended for the harmonization of RoO across sectors, capacity-building for customs officials, digital certification systems, and alignment of RoO with Nigeria"s industrial policy.