THE BREXIT: IMPLICATIONS AND LESSONS FOR AFRICAN UNION

Abstract

The Brexit can be said to be the most negating factor against the concept of political and economic integration in modern times. Even though it is among the phenomena that make big headlines around the world today, many are yet to have a full grasp of the meaning and implications of the Brexit especially on the partners of the European Union and the United Kingdom. Worse still, many Africans seem oblivious of the impact of Brexit on the umbrella body of African countries, the African Union and also on individual African economies. It is against the backdrop of these stated problems that this paper set out to attempt a clarification of the implications of the Brexit on AU. Adopting the thematic method of qualitative analysis, the paper sets out to interpret available data and therein observes that the implications of Brexit on AU are multi-faceted. The Brexit has implications on financial and trade relations among the AU, EU and UK. It may possibly hit African big economies the worst, which will definitely reverberate on the foundations of the AU. This further justifies the postulations of the Dependency Theorists. Therefore, structuring an African regional organisation based on innate models less dependent on the western models will go a long way to make Africa a less victim of shake-ups in the western political and economic milieu.