An African continental strategy for reversing the long-run economic effects of slavery

Abstract

Africa’s contemporary development challenges are deeply shaped by the long-run economic effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and subsequent extractive integration into the global economy. A growing body of economic history and development research shows that slavery weakened institutions, fragmented markets, disrupted human capital accumulation, and reduced Africa’s bargaining power in global value chains. This policy commentary argues that reversing these legacies requires coordinated continental action rather than isolated national reforms. Focusing on the African Union’s (AU’s) comparative advantages in norm-setting, political convening, and peer accountability, the paper outlines a coherent continental strategy centered on eight AU Continental Flagship Initiatives. The long-run economic effects of slavery are not a closed historical chapter but enduring structural constraints that require coordinated continental responses. By leveraging its unique capacity to enable integration, restore economic scale, and reduce cross-border coordination failures, I suggest that the African Union can transform historical disadvantage into a foundation for inclusive, resilient development and renewed global agency for the continent.

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