▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Ab u ja ▁Tre aty ), ▁proposed ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁regional ▁economic ▁communities ▁( RE C s ) ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁African ▁integration , ▁with ▁a ▁tim et able ▁for ▁regional ▁and ▁then ▁contin ental ▁integration ▁to ▁follow . ▁The ▁Tre aty ▁provides ▁for ▁the ▁African ▁Econom ic ▁Community ▁to ▁be ▁set ▁up ▁through ▁a ▁grad ual ▁process , ▁in ▁ 6 ▁stages ▁over ▁ 3 4 ▁years , ▁i . e . ▁by ▁ 2 0 2 8 . ▁ ▁Article ▁ 8 8 ▁of ▁the ▁Ab u ja ▁Tre aty ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁Econom ic ▁Community ▁is ▁the ▁progress ive ▁integration ▁of ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁RE C s , ▁with ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁full ▁contin ental ▁economic ▁integration ▁as ▁the ▁final ▁objective ▁towards ▁which ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁existing ▁and ▁future ▁RE C s ▁must ▁be ▁ge ared . ▁ ▁A ▁Pro tocol ▁on ▁Rel ations ▁between ▁the ▁A EC ▁and ▁the ▁RE C s ▁entered ▁into ▁force ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁O AU / A EC ▁Sum mit ▁in ▁L om é ▁adopted ▁the ▁Const it utive ▁Act ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁Union , ▁which ▁formally ▁replaced ▁the ▁O AU ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁The ▁final ▁O AU ▁Sum mit ▁in ▁L us aka ▁from ▁ 9 ▁to ▁ 1 1 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁re aff ir med ▁the ▁status ▁of