In a few weeks, the Economic Community of West African States, established on 28 May 1975, will turn 50. It was established following the signing of the Treaty of Lagos. It aimed to promote economic integration in the subregion.
Nigeria was one of the key promoters of the bloc, which was formed when Yakubu Gowon was the military head of state. ECOWAS aims to achieve “collective self-sufficiency” for its member states by creating a single trade bloc and building a full economic and trading union.
Nigeria, the biggest country in West Africa is the main power within the body.
However, with ECOWAS lately showing interest in the political activities of its member-states, it has started facing existential issues.
The ECOWAS countries are not as integrated economically as they should be. Politically, they are falling apart.
The economies of member states are not doing so well with Nigeria facing a cost-of-living crisis. Ghana, another influential country in the group, is grappling with economic challenges of its own. The only success story there is Ivory Coast.
So, for about 50 years, ECOWAS has not been able to achieve a single currency for its members.
Furthermore, the organisation has been unable to entrench democracy among its members. Just recently, the Sahel countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, ruled by military juntas, have withdrawn from the union, citing interference in their domestic affairs.
The Guinea Bissau President forced out an ECOWAS delegation sent to mediate the country’s political crisis.
Just like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, he was reportedly seeking the assistance of Russia.
So, the crux of the matter is that there seems to be a ‘proxy crisis’ going on between Russia and the West in the region, which is gradually tearing ECOWAS apart.
With the withdrawal of the Sahel countries, the membership of ECOWAS has dwindled to 12, from 15, leaving Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, and The Gambia.
These times call for high-level diplomacy within ECOWAS to ensure that the organisation does not disintegrate.
The remaining members need to work hard at ensuring that proxy crises fuelled by powers outside Africa do not cripple the organisation.
Efforts should be made to ensure that the three countries that have just exited the organisation are persuaded to return through diplomacy.
It is high time the remaining countries in ECOWAS practised real democracy. Among the member countries, many of the governments use anti-democratic measures to suppress the opposition. Many renew their mandates through rigging. Such practices provide tight excuses for coup plotters to overthrow democratic governments.
ECOWAS member countries should move away from just professing democracy to ensuring that democracy works in their countries so that coup apologists would not be provided opportunities to promote authoritarianism above democracy.
The group needs to work hard at achieving a single currency after 50 years of existence. That the organisation has not achieved full economic integration of its members is not a good thing.
The single currency should be pursued with renewed vigour to achieve a true economic union of the West African states.
The movement of goods and services within the member states should be made much more seamless.
However, ECOWAS has achieved some laudable achievements. In 2017, it was able through concerted efforts to force out Yahya Jammeh from power in The Gambia after he lost an election and refused to leave.
Then it was the Nigerian and Senegalese militaries that piled pressure on Jammeh and forced him to leave.
ECOWAS played key roles in ending the wars in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
At 50, ECOWAS members should consolidate the relationship, not splinter. Founding countries like Nigeria should play a big brother role to ensure things do not fall apart in ECOWAS.
