Appraisal and review of the impact of the Lagos Plan of Action on the development and expansion of intra-African trade

Abstract

The Lagos Plan of Action (LPA) together with the Final Act of Lagos (FAD were borne out of an overwhelming necessity to establish an African social and economic order primarily based on utilising to the full the region 's resources in building a self-reliant economy. The other parallel objective was the ^establishing of an African Economic Community by beginning of the twenty first century. In adopting the LPA and the FAL it was recognised that national governments were to be responsible for implementing these strategies in their respective development plans However, regional bodies like the Economic Commission for Africa (KCA) the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and others would have this task of giving technical assistance to member States. From information research in writing this brief paper it is safer to state that very few government s have striven to incorporate in their development planning exercise? the objectives enunciated in the Lagos Flan of Action. Perhaps it is worth recalling that the Lagos Plan of Action had failed to provide for an effective monitoring and follow-up mechanism for its implementation and this may explain why governments did not feel obliged to do so.