The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marks its 50th anniversary in 2025, and its journey has been marked by significant highs and lows in regional integration, political collaboration, and economic development.
It was founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation and development among West African countries.
Over the years, it has strived to foster peace, stability in a region that has been historically marred by political instability and under development.
West African countries, striving for stability and prosperity in a region historically burdened by colonial legacies, political instability, and underdevelopment.
As Ghana hosts the launch of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, GhanaWeb takes a look at the successes and challenges ECOWAS has faced since its inception.
Successes
Promotion of regional integration:
ECOWAS has made notable strides in facilitating the free movement of people, goods and services within its member states.
The ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) has helped to promote intra-regional trade and reduce dependency on external markets.
Peacekeeping and Stability
ECOWAS has been instrumental in maintaining peace in West Africa, particularly through the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), which played a critical role in mediating conflicts and managing crisis in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau in the nineties.
Economic integration
ECOWAS has created large markets that attract foreign investments and encourages specialisation along lines of comparative advantages.
It has also promoted cultural exchange among member states, enhancing regional cooperation.
It has facilitated the use of local inputs in industries and reduced foreign ownership of enterprises and also made significant investments in the continent’s energy supply, food security and human capital development.
Here are some challenges ECOWAS has faced in its journey:
Internal divisions
Despite its successes in peacekeeping, ECOWAS has sometimes struggled with internal political divisions and its ability to respond quickly and effectively to regional crises.
The failure to prevent coups in member states like Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso in recent years has questioned its ability to enforce democratic governance.
Economic integration challenges
The goal of economic integration has faced significant hurdles, including differences in economic policies, a lack of infrastructure, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
The dream of a common currency, the Eco, has been delayed multiple times, with regional powers like Nigeria and Ghana unable to agree on key economic terms and conditions.
Limited impact on human rights and governance issues among member states
While ECOWAS has made some efforts to promote democracy and good governance, its influence appears limited, sparking conversations that it has not done enough to hold leaders accountable for human rights violations or for subverting democratic processes.
As it marks its 50th year, it is expected that it will do more to create a prosperous continent, tackle climate change, violent threats and regional disintegration.
JKB/AE
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