Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement to contribute to the GDP of that continent.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) has the potential to boost Africa's economic development by driving industrialisation, generating jobs and delivering prosperity across the continent. The World Bank estimates suggest that, if fully implemented, the AfCFTA will create better-quality jobs, increase real incomes by 9 percent and lift 50 million people from extreme poverty. If successful, AfCFTA will provide new commercial opportunities for businesses across Africa and globally, potentially doubling Foreign Direct Investment and linking Africa into regional and global value chains.