Write a geographical account of ECOWAS under the following headings
(a) Aims and objectives
(b) Membership
(c) Possible solutions
A geographical account of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)
ECOWAS is a regional economic grouping of West African countries. It was established by the Treaty of Lagos on 28 May 1975 to promote economic co-operation and integration among the states of the West African sub-region. Its executive body, the ECOWAS Commission, has its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
(a) Aims and objectives
To increase and promote trade among the member countries by removing tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers, thereby working towards a common market and a common external tariff.
To promote co-operation and development in economic activities such as industry, transport, energy, agriculture and telecommunications.
To co-operate in social and cultural areas such as education, music and art.
To ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital across member states.
To contribute to a common fund which is used to finance joint projects and to compensate member countries that may lose economically as a result of the integration.
To raise the standard of living of the people of the sub-region and to achieve collective self-reliance.
To establish, eventually, a single common currency (the proposed ECO) to ease trade and payments within the region.
To maintain peace, security and political stability in the sub-region (leading to the formation of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group, ECOMOG).
(b) Membership
ECOWAS is made up of fifteen West African member states, drawn from English-speaking, French-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries. They are: Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia and Cape Verde. Mauritania, a founding member, withdrew from the organisation in the year 2000. The distribution of the member states across the sub-region is shown on the sketch map below.
Sketch map of West Africa showing the fifteen member states of ECOWAS.
(c) Possible solutions to the problems of ECOWAS
Payment of the annual financial contributions (dues) should be made compulsory, and any member that persistently refuses to pay should be sanctioned or suspended, so that the common fund is well financed.
Proper orientation and mutual trust among members, with genuine equality in the discussion and formulation of resolutions, so that no country dominates the others.
A neutral body should be set up to execute the programmes and projects of the organisation impartially, and common funds should be managed honestly.
The office of the President/Chairman of ECOWAS should be rotated fairly among the Heads of State of the member countries.
Full and speedy implementation of the protocol on the free movement of persons, goods and services, and improvement of transport and communication links (roads, railways, telecommunications) between member states to boost trade.
Introduction of a single common currency (the ECO) to facilitate inter-regional trade and payments and to reduce dependence on the currencies of former colonial powers.
Diversification of member economies so that they produce different, complementary goods rather than competing similar primary exports.
Maintenance of peace and political stability through bodies such as ECOMOG, since trade and investment can only grow in a secure region.
A geographical account of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)
ECOWAS is a regional economic grouping of West African countries. It was established by the Treaty of Lagos on 28 May 1975 to promote economic co-operation and integration among the states of the West African sub-region. Its executive body, the ECOWAS Commission, has its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
(a) Aims and objectives
To increase and promote trade among the member countries by removing tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers, thereby working towards a common market and a common external tariff.
To promote co-operation and development in economic activities such as industry, transport, energy, agriculture and telecommunications.
To co-operate in social and cultural areas such as education, music and art.
To ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital across member states.
To contribute to a common fund which is used to finance joint projects and to compensate member countries that may lose economically as a result of the integration.
To raise the standard of living of the people of the sub-region and to achieve collective self-reliance.
To establish, eventually, a single common currency (the proposed ECO) to ease trade and payments within the region.
To maintain peace, security and political stability in the sub-region (leading to the formation of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group, ECOMOG).
(b) Membership
ECOWAS is made up of fifteen West African member states, drawn from English-speaking, French-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries. They are: Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia and Cape Verde. Mauritania, a founding member, withdrew from the organisation in the year 2000. The distribution of the member states across the sub-region is shown on the sketch map below.
Sketch map of West Africa showing the fifteen member states of ECOWAS.
(c) Possible solutions to the problems of ECOWAS
Payment of the annual financial contributions (dues) should be made compulsory, and any member that persistently refuses to pay should be sanctioned or suspended, so that the common fund is well financed.
Proper orientation and mutual trust among members, with genuine equality in the discussion and formulation of resolutions, so that no country dominates the others.
A neutral body should be set up to execute the programmes and projects of the organisation impartially, and common funds should be managed honestly.
The office of the President/Chairman of ECOWAS should be rotated fairly among the Heads of State of the member countries.
Full and speedy implementation of the protocol on the free movement of persons, goods and services, and improvement of transport and communication links (roads, railways, telecommunications) between member states to boost trade.
Introduction of a single common currency (the ECO) to facilitate inter-regional trade and payments and to reduce dependence on the currencies of former colonial powers.
Diversification of member economies so that they produce different, complementary goods rather than competing similar primary exports.
Maintenance of peace and political stability through bodies such as ECOMOG, since trade and investment can only grow in a secure region.
