Conclusions The assessment reveals a landscape of incomplete pro­gress where no country has achieved comprehensive excel­lence. Yet within this landscape lie important achievements pointing towards what is possible when political will, ade­quate resources, and genuine stakeholder engagement align. 69 Three fundamental insights must guide improve­ment efforts: The systematic gap between consultation and content reveals that process alone does not guarantee sub­stance; the persistent inadequacy of attention to informal sector workers and gender-labour intersections demon­strates that NAPs BHR cannot simply adapt formal em­ployment frameworks; and implementation remains univer­sally weak, with resource constraints, capacity limitations, and insufficient stakeholder engagement undermining even well-designed provisions. Yet grounds for optimism exist. Uganda’s National Social Security Fund demonstrates that creative policy solutions can expand protection to previously excluded informal workers. 70 Kenya’s success in integrating gender–labour in­tersections provides an adaptable model. Ghana’s excellent labour integration shows what comprehensive stakeholder engagement can achieve when properly executed. Liberia’s strong labour content, despite moderate consultation, sug­gests that effective technical approaches merit study. These achievements demonstrate that challenges are not insurmountable but require political will, adequate resourc­es, technical capacity, and genuine commitment to cen­tring workers’ voices. Three priorities should guide NAP BHR improvement ef­forts across the region—first, by closing the consulta­tion-to-content gap through validation mechanisms, trans­parent documentation, and stakeholder empowerment. 71 Ghana’s urgent need to address its gender content deficit and Uganda’s labour content weakness exemplify why this must be an immediate priority. Second is directly address­ing the realities of the informal sector and gender–labour intersections with context-appropriate, innovative interven­tions. This requires moving beyond formal sector frame­works to develop protection mechanisms suited to informal work’s distinct characteristics while explicitly recognising how gender shapes labour experiences. Third is making im­plementation the sustained focus through multistakeholder bodies with real power, comprehensive monitoring frame­works with labour and gender indicators, adequate budget allocations, and periodic reviews with stakeholder partici­pation. Ultimately, NAPs BHR will be measured not by consulta­tion processes or document quality but by whether work­ers—especially informal sector and women workers—expe­rience tangible improvements in rights, working conditions, and access to remedy. 72 This requires moving from commit­ment to implementation, consultation to substantive inte­gration, and aspiration to measurable impact. Success de­mands political will to prioritise labour and gender rights even when difficult or costly, adequate resources to recog­nise that effective implementation cannot occur on sym­bolic budgets, sustained stakeholder engagement to main­tain worker and representative participation throughout implementation and monitoring, and genuine commitment to centring workers’ voices and experiences in all their di­versity. The five countries have laid the foundations. Some founda­tions are stronger than others, but all provide starting points for further development. Now they must build upon these foundations to ensure BHR frameworks translate into real improvements in workers’ lives. The path forward is clear, tools are available, and regional examples demon­strate what is possible. What remains is political will and sustained commitment to move from policy documents to transformative change advancing labour and gender justice across Africa. 69 Lund-Thomsen, P., Lindgreen, A.,& Vanhamme, J.(2021) 70 Olivier, M. P., Kaseke, E.,& Mpedi, L. G.(2012). Informality, employment contracts and extension of social insurance coverage in the Southern African Development Commu­nity. African Institute of South Africa. 71 Buhmann, K., Roseberry, L.,& Morsing, M.(2020) 72 Williamson, D.,& Lynch-Wood, G.(2012). Social and environmental reporting in UK company law and the issue of legitimacy. Corporate Governance: The International Jour­nal of Business in Society, 12(2), 172–189. Labour and Africa’s National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights 35