ECOWAS
Economic Community of West African States
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Headquarters | Abuja, Nigeria 9°2′31″N 7°31′30″E / 9.04194°N 7.52500°E |
Official languages |
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Member states |
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Leaders | |
• Bola Ahmed Tinubu | |
• President of the Commission | Omar Touray |
Moustapha Cissé Lô | |
Establishment | 28 May 1975 |
28 May 1975[1] | |
• Treaty Revision | 24 July 1993 |
Area | |
• Total | 5,114,162 km2 (1,974,589 sq mi) (7th) |
Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 387 million (3rd) |
• Density | 68.3/km2 (176.9/sq mi) |
GDP (PPP) | 2015 estimate |
• Total | US$1.483 trillion[2] (18th) |
• Per capita | US$4,247[3] |
GDP (nominal) | estimate |
• Total | $816.4 billion[4] 2019 (21st) |
• Per capita | $2,089 |
Currency |
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Time zone | UTC-1 to +1 |
Website www |
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of 5,114,162 km2 (1,974,589 sq mi) and have an estimated population of over 424.34 million.[5]
Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union. Additionally, ECOWAS aims to raise living standards and promote economic development.[6] The union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. A revised version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin.[7]
ECOWAS's fundamental principles rely on equity, inter-dependence, solidarity, co-operation, nonaggression, regional peace, promotion of human rights, and economic and social justice.[8]
Notably among ECOWAS's protocols and plans are the ECOWAS Free Movement of Persons, Residences and Establishment Protocol and the Ecotour Action Plan 2019–2029. The Free Movement of Persons Protocol permits citizens the right to enter and reside in any member state's territory,[9] and the Ecotour Action Plan aims to develop and integrate the tourist industry of each member state.[10]
ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region, with member states occasionally sending joint military forces to intervene in the bloc's member countries at times of political instability and unrest.[11][12]
In 2024, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali announced their withdrawal from the bloc. The countries had been suspended from ECOWAS due to military takeovers of their respective governments.
Member states
Upon its foundation, ECOWAS had 15 member states: eight French-speaking, five English-speaking, and two Portuguese-speaking. All current members joined the community as founding members in May 1975, except Cape Verde which joined in 1977.[13][14]
Morocco officially requested to join ECOWAS in February 2017.[15] The application was endorsed in principle at the summit of heads of state in June 2017.[16][14] However, Morocco's bid for membership was stalled as West African economic actors feared goods imported through Morocco's free trade agreements would flood the market of states within ECOWAS.[17]
States that have withdrawn or been suspended
Arabic-speaking Mauritania was one of the founding members of ECOWAS in 1975 and decided to withdraw in December 2000.[13] Mauritania signed a new associate-membership agreement in August 2017.[18]
On 28 January 2024, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced via a joint statement that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS "without delay".[29] The three nations, all of which are currently ruled by military juntas, accused ECOWAS of implementing "inhumane" sanctions in order to reverse the coups in each nation.[30] Under the ECOWAS protocol, immediate withdrawal is not possible, and the three member states could remain in the bloc for up to a year. ECOWAS said in a statement that "Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse."[31]
On 24 February 2024, ECOWAS announced that it was lifting some sanctions against Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. For Niger this included the border closures, the freezing of central bank and state assets, the suspension of commercial transactions, and the no-fly-zone for commercial flights to and from Niger. However, the political sanctions and targeted sanctions would remain in force. The communiqué said this was done for humanitarian reasons, but it was seen as a gesture of appeasement to dissuade the three junta-led states from withdrawing from the bloc. ECOWAS also lifted sanctions on Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.[32][33][34]
Country | Area[35] (km2) |
Population[36] (thousands) |
GDP (nominal)[37] (millions USD) |
GDP (PPP)[38] (millions intl.$) |
Currency | Official language |
Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Benin | 114,763 | 10,880 | 8,291 | 22,377 | CFA franc | French | — |
Burkina Faso | 272,967 | 18,106 | 10,678 | 30,708 | CFA franc | French | Retired |
Cape Verde | 4,033 | 521 | 1,603 | 3,413 | escudo | Portuguese | — |
The Gambia | 11,295 | 1,991 | 939 | 3,344 | dalasi | English | — |
Ghana | 238,533 | 27,410 | 37,543 | 115,409 | cedi | English | — |
Guinea | 245,857 | 12,609 | 6,699 | 15,244 | franc | French | Suspended |
Guinea-Bissau | 36,125 | 1,844 | 1,057 | 2,685 | CFA franc | Portuguese | — |
Ivory Coast | 322,463 | 22,702 | 31,759 | 79,766 | CFA franc | French | — |
Liberia | 111,369 | 4,503 | 2,053 | 3,762 | dollar | English | — |
Mali | 1,240,192 | 17,600 | 12,747 | 35,695 | CFA franc | Various | Retired |
Niger | 1,267,000 | 19,899 | 7,143 | 19,013 | CFA franc | French | Retired |
Nigeria | 923,768 | 211,400 | 481,066 | 1,093,921 | naira | English | — |
Senegal | 196,712 | 15,129 | 13,610 | 36,625 | CFA franc | French | — |
Sierra Leone | 72,300 | 6,453 | 4,215 | 10,127 | leone | English | — |
Togo | 56,785 | 7,305 | 4,088 | 10,667 | CFA franc | French | — |
Total | 5,114,162 | 338,052 | 623,491 | 1,482,756 | — |
Statistics for population, nominal GDP and purchasing power parity GDP listed below are taken from World Bank estimates for 2015, published in December 2016.[36][37][38] Area data is taken from a 2012 report compiled by the United Nations Statistics Division.[35]
History
ECOWAS was formed initially from the region's former French, British and Portuguese territories, and independent Liberia, following post-colonial independence throughout the region (particularly in the 1960s and 1970s). At independence, many African states were challenged in increasing economic development.[39] Because these states could not address problems individually, there was a need for a regional approach and thus ECOWAS was founded.[39] ECOWAS was formed to provide regional economic cooperation, but has since evolved to include political and military cooperation, as well.[40]
The union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. A revised version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in Cotonou.[14] Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union.[41]
ECOWAS also serves as a
In 2011, ECOWAS adopted its development blueprint for the next decade, Vision 2020, and, to accompany it, a Policy on Science and Technology (
Covering a region known as a "
Structure
Overall
ECOWAS consists of two operating institutions to implement policies: the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) – formerly known as the Fund for Cooperation, until it was renamed in 2001.[54]
In addition, ECOWAS includes the following institutions: ECOWAS Commission, Community Court of Justice,[55] Community Parliament,[56] ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID),[56] West African Health Organisation (WAHO),[57] and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa (GIABA).[58]
ECOWAS includes two sub-regional blocks:
- The
- The
ECOWAS operates in three co-official languages—French, English, and Portuguese.[59]
Executive secretaries and presidents of the commission
Politics of the African Union |
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Executive Secretary | Country | In office |
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Inaugural holder Aboubakar Diaby Ouattara[60] | Ivory Coast | January 1977 – 1985 |
Momodu Munu | Sierra Leone | 1985–1989 |
Abass Bundu | 1989–1993 | |
Édouard Benjamin | Guinea | 1993–1997 |
Lansana Kouyaté | September 1997 – 31 January 2002 | |
Mohamed Ibn Chambas | Ghana | 1 February 2002 – 31 December 2006 |
Mohamed Ibn Chambas | 1 January 2007 – 18 February 2010 | |
James Victor Gbeho
|
18 February 2010 – 1 March 2012 | |
Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo
|
Burkina Faso | 1 March 2012 – 4 June 2016 |
Marcel Alain de Souza | Benin | 4 June 2016 – 1 March 2018 |
Jean-Claude Brou | Ivory Coast | 1 March 2018 – 3 July 2022 |
Omar Touray | Gambia | 3 July 2022 – present |
Chairpersons
Chairperson[61] | Country | In office |
---|---|---|
Yakubu Gowon | Nigeria | 28 May 1975 – 29 July 1975 |
Gnassingbé Eyadéma | Togo | 29 July 1975 – 13 September 1977 |
Olusegun Obasanjo | Nigeria | 13 September 1977 – 30 September 1979 |
Léopold Sédar Senghor | Senegal | 30 September 1979 – 31 December 1980 |
Gnassingbé Eyadéma | Togo | 1980–1981 |
Siaka Stevens | Sierra Leone | 1981–1982 |
Mathieu Kérékou | Benin | 1982–1983 |
Ahmed Sékou Touré | Guinea | 1983–1984 |
Lansana Conté | 1984–1985 | |
Muhammadu Buhari | Nigeria | 1985 – 27 August 1985 |
Ibrahim Babangida | 27 August 1985 – 1989 | |
Dawda Jawara | Gambia | 1989–1990 |
Blaise Compaoré | Burkina Faso | 1990–1991 |
Dawda Jawara | Gambia | 1991–1992 |
Abdou Diouf | Senegal | 1992–1993 |
Nicéphore Soglo | Benin | 1993–1994 |
Jerry Rawlings | Ghana | 1994 – 27 July 1996 |
Sani Abacha | Nigeria | 27 July 1996 – 8 June 1998 |
Abdulsalami Abubakar | 9 June 1998 – 1999 | |
Gnassingbé Eyadéma | Togo | 1999–1999 |
Alpha Oumar Konaré | Mali | 1999 – 21 December 2001 |
Abdoulaye Wade | Senegal | 21 December 2001 – 31 January 2003 |
John Kufuor | Ghana | 31 January 2003 – 19 January 2005 |
Mamadou Tandja | Niger | 19 January 2005 – 19 January 2007 |
Blaise Compaoré | Burkina Faso | 19 January 2007 – 19 December 2008 |
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua | Nigeria | 19 December 2008 – 18 February 2010 |
Goodluck Jonathan | 18 February 2010 – 17 February 2012 | |
Alassane Ouattara | Ivory Coast | 17 February 2012 – 17 February 2013 |
John Mahama | Ghana | 17 February 2013 – 19 May 2015 |
Macky Sall | Senegal | 19 May 2015 – 4 June 2016 |
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | Liberia | 4 June 2016 – 4 June 2017 |
Faure Gnassingbé | Togo | 4 June 2017 – 31 July 2018 |
Muhammadu Buhari | Nigeria | 31 July 2018 – 29 June 2019 |
Mahamadou Issoufou | Niger | 29 June 2019 – 2 June 2020 |
Nana Akufo-Addo | Ghana | 2 June 2020 – 3 July 2022 |
Umaro Sissoco Embaló | Guinea-Bissau | 3 July 2022 – 9 July 2023 |
Bola Tinubu | Nigeria | 9 July 2023 – Present |
Regional security co-operation
ECOWAS nations assigned a non-aggression protocol in 1990 along with two earlier agreements in 1978 and 1981. They also signed a Protocol on Mutual Defence Assistance in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 29 May 1981, that provided for the establishment of an Allied Armed Force of the Community.[62]
Community Parliament
The Community Parliament consists of 115 members, distributed based on the population of each member state.[63] This body is headed by the Speaker of the Parliament, who is above the Secretary General.
Country | Parliament Seats |
---|---|
Benin | 5 |
Burkina Faso | 6 |
Cape Verde | 5 |
Gambia | 5 |
Ghana | 8 |
Guinea | 6 |
Guinea-Bissau | 5 |
Ivory Coast | 7 |
Liberia | 5 |
Mali | 6 |
Niger | 6 |
Nigeria | 35 |
Senegal | 6 |
Sierra Leone | 5 |
Togo | 5 |
Expanded ECOWAS Commission
For the third time since its inception in 1975, ECOWAS is undergoing institutional reforms. The first was when it revised its treaty on 24 July 1993; the second was in 2007 when the Secretariat was transformed into a Commission. As of July 2013, ECOWAS now has six new departments (Human Resources Management; Education, Science and Culture; Energy and Mines; Telecommunications and IT; Industry and Private Sector Promotion). Finance and Administration to Sierra Leone has been decoupled, to give the incoming Ghana Commissioner the new portfolio of Administration and Conferences.[64]
Community Court of Justice
ECOWAS Community Court of Justice was created by a protocol signed in 1991 and was later included in Article 6 of the Revised Treaty of the Community in 1993.[65] However, the Court did not officially begin operations until the 1991 protocol came into effect on 5 November 1996. The jurisdiction of the court is outlined in Article 9 and Articles 76 of the Revised Treaty and allows rulings on disputes between states over interpretations of the Revised Treaty. It also provides ECOWAS Council with advisory opinions on legal issues (Article 10). Like its companion courts, the European Court of Human Rights and East African Court of Justice, it has jurisdiction to rule on fundamental human rights breaches.[65]
Sporting and cultural exchange
ECOWAS nations organise a broad array of cultural and sports events under the auspices of the body, including the
The Community Heads of State and Government adopted African Traditional Wrestling as the Community sport, and through its specialised agency in charge of youth and sports development, the Ouagadougou-based ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), has consistently organised the yearly ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament mainly in Dakar (Senegal) and Niamey (Niger) based on a harmonized African wrestling code.
The Community, through the EYSDC, also organized 2 editions of ECOWAS International Cycling tour, taking close to 100 riders from all member states, from Lagos to Accra and then from Lagos to Abidjan. In addition to the sports and well-being objective of the tour, the race also served to demonstrate and put into practice ECOWAS protocol on free movement of goods and persons.
In 2019, the EYSDC instituted ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon. The first edition brought together international marathoners from West Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Cameroon.
Similarly, the Community, through its specialised agency, promotes regional sports development by offering sponsorship to regional sports federations and specialized disciplines such as the West African Deaf Sports Union (WADSU), the West African Liaison Office of the International Council for Military Sports (WALO-CISM), the Region 2 of the African Athletics Federation, and the West African University Games (WAUG), among others.
Youth
The ECOWAS Youth Policy Strategic Plan of Action (SPAO) is a 10-year plan that aims to promote youth development and empowerment in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The SPAO was adopted in 2016 and is based on the pillars of education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, health and well-being, peace and security, and governance and participation.[67][68]
The SPAO identifies a number of challenges facing youth in ECOWAS, including high unemployment rates, lack of access to education and training, and poor health outcomes. The plan sets out a number of strategies to address these challenges, including investing in education and training, creating jobs and supporting entrepreneurship, improving access to health care, promoting peace and security, and strengthening youth participation in governance.[67][68]
Economic integration
West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA)
You can help expand this section with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (October 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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The West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU,
UEMOA is a customs union and currency union between the members of ECOWAS. Its objectives include:[72]
- Greater economic competitiveness, through open markets, in addition to the rationalisation and harmonisation of the legal environment
- The convergence of macro-economic policies and indicators
- The creation of a common market
- The co-ordination of sectoral policies
- The harmonisation of fiscal policies
Among its achievements, the UEMOA has successfully implemented macro-economic convergence criteria and an effective surveillance mechanism. It has adopted a customs union and common external tariff and has combined indirect taxation regulations, in addition to initiating regional structural and sectoral policies. A September 2002 IMF survey cited the UEMOA as "the furthest along the path toward integration" of all the regional groupings in Africa.[73]
ECOWAS and UEMOA have developed a common plan of action on trade liberalisation and macroeconomic policy convergence. The organizations have also agreed on common rules of origin to enhance trade, and ECOWAS has agreed to adopt UEMOA's customs declaration forms and compensation mechanisms.[74]
However, within the region, there has been a low level of integration with an increase in income disparities since the creation of WAEMU. Côte d'Ivoire had the highest GDP per capita in 2022 at 1,950 USD while Niger had the lowest one at 484 USD. In the same year, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal alone accounted for more than 60% of the unions' exports. Additionally, there is a large discrepancy in countries' economic performance over the 2010 decade; the best performance was recorded by Côte d'Ivoire (annual growth rate of 6.72%) and the lowest one by Guinea Bissau (3.85%). However, positive progress has been made in economic distribution since the foundation of WAMEU, with the mean dispersion of economic growth in the region being 1.26 before the creation and 0.73 after.[71]
Membership
- Benin (Founding Member)
- Burkina Faso (Founding Member)
- Guinea-Bissau (Joined on 2 May 1997)
- Ivory Coast (Founding Member)
- Mali (Founding Member)
- Niger (Founding Member)
- Senegal (Founding Member)
- Togo (Founding Member)
West African Monetary Zone
Formed in 2000, the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) is a group of six countries within ECOWAS that plan to introduce a common currency called the
The WAMZ attempts to establish a strong stable currency to rival the CFA franc, whose
Membership
- Gambia (Founding Member)
- Ghana (Founding Member)
- Guinea (Founding Member)
- Liberia (Joined on 16 February 2010)[76][77]
- Nigeria (Founding Member)
- Sierra Leone (Founding Member)
The Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment Protocol
In May 1979, ECOWAS adopted a Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment Protocol, which permits citizens to enter, reside, and establish economic activities in the territory of member states.[9] There were three phases of implementation to achieve the goals of the protocol. Over the course of five years, Phase I eliminated the need for visas for stays of up to 90 days within the ECOWAS territory.[9] Phase II attempted to extend residency to citizens in host ECOWAS states to seek income-earning employment after obtaining an ECOWAS residence card. Phase II also required member states to grant migrant workers equal treatment in areas such as employment, participation, social and cultural activities, and in certain cases of job loss, re-employment, and training.[9] Phase III centered on the facilitation and establishment of business through the right of citizens to manage economic activities in countries other than their country of origin. However, this right has not been fully established in the ECOWAS region.[9] While these three phases promoting freedom of movement within the ECOWAS region is more advanced than in any other regional grouping in Africa, only the first phase has been fully implemented by all ECOWAS countries.[9] The complete implementation of the 90-day visa-free window enhanced human mobility in the region, creating positive impacts on trade and economic development.[78]
In December 2000, the ECOWAS passport was introduced as a common passport that functions as an international travel document, and member states are currently in the process of implementing a joint visa for non-ECOWAS citizens.[79] Additionally, ECOWAS has worked to ease the movement of people transported in private and commercial vehicles by implementing policies that enable vehicles to enter and reside in a State for up to ninety days. Most ECOWAS states have instituted an ECOWAS brown card, which provides prompt, fair, and immediate compensation for any motor accident which occurs outside a motorist's home-country.[80]
While monitoring committees exist to ensure all three phases of the protocol are successfully implemented, their work is vague and has not been credited with effective and efficient production of data.[9] The largest challenges assosicated within the implementation of the protocol occur due to lack of commitment and enforceability. More so, there is a lack of access to readily available migrant information in the ECOWAS region. This poses a barrier to freedom of movement as immigration officials in member states are unaware that individuals who hold valid travel documents can enter their country freely. Therefore, West African migrants, who are entitled to enter through regular channels, leave their countries without proper travel documents and enter other countries illegally. This illegal and irregular entry poses a barrier towards gaining reliable travel statistics.[9]
For example, Francophone countries in the region have issued national identity cards that can be used similarly to a passport. These cards permit citizens to cross borders after presenting their identity cards. However, Anglophone countries have only just begun distributing a similar form of identification. Consequently, immigration officials in Anglophone countries commonly reject Francophone national identity cards and do not permit Francophone citizens to cross into their borders. Further, these structural barriers are exasperated between different social classes. Middle-class individuals typically experience a smoother border-crossing process than working-class individuals and impoverished citizens who do not have travel documents and are not fluent in the language of the countries they are crossing into.[81]
Transport
A Trans-ECOWAS project, established in 2007, plans to upgrade railways in this zone.[82]
Tourism
In 2019, ECOWAS unveiled its Ecotour Action Plan 2019 – 2029. It focuses on tourism heritage protection and development and on the development of standards, regulations, and control systems.
As of March 2023, Council members mentioned that phases one and two of the Ecotour Action Plan have come to an end and that the community is moving into phase three and four, which focuses on the development of tourist accommodations establishments, and a proposal for a regional mechanism to enforce tourist regulations. By the end of phase five, ECOWAS hopes to have unified accommodations in hotels, ecolodges, motels,
See also
- Brown card system – motor insurance scheme of ECOWAS
- Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
- East African Community
- Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
- Economy of Africa
- ECOWAS Peace Pageant
- Intergovernmental Authority on Development
- Southern African Development Community (SADC)
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