The Ecowas and the Management of Integration in the West African Sub-region: 1985 – 2005.
ABSTRACT
The founding fathers of the ECOWAS were very fundamentally clear as to the primary objectives of the over 40-year old regional body, yet despite this mission clarity, and the ‘numerous efforts’ and strategies put in place,
the ECOWAS is replete with several examples of failures or ‘mere near successes’ in the integration process. The lofty dreams of creating an ECOWAS of people against an ECOWAS of states have over the last three or four decades remained largely elusive.
This study titled – An Evaluative Study of the ECOWAS Coalition and the Management of Regional Integration in West Africa – 1985 – 2005, represents a modest attempt at appraising the difficulties faced by the integration process, more so,
in terms of the creation of one unified economic entity, with the sole objective of improving the life of West Africans. Salient issues such as those bordering on regional security, governance crises, and institutional incompetence have been noted as fundamental impediments in the process of West African regional integration.
The study has also extensively deployed varied techniques and methodologies such as questionnaire administration on a sampled population amongst borderland communities in Nigeria and Niger Republic. Questionnaires were also administered on other more informed citizens of the Community.
In addition, notably recognized individuals vital to some aspects of the integration processes were also sampled for interview.
Empirical observations coupled with other sources of secondary data were also extensively utilized in the effort to more closely appreciate other ECOWAS integration dynamics, factors such as those of neo-colonization, and challenges of regional insecurity amongst others. In terms of analysis of data,
frequencies and simple percentages were portrayed in tabulated forms, and from these, the study was able to draw its own conclusions and in some cases, the study was able to positively reinforce other scholarly opinions.
INTRODUCTION
Fundamental to this study is the issue of integration amongst and between nations and its imperativeness as a force for human development, especially with reference to emerging independent states of Africa.
From the framework of the UN [United Nations], regional organizations are viewed as a major feature of the contemporary global economic system.
One of the basic purposes of such regional bodies is to make use of deliberate governmental and private sector efforts to strengthen south-south trade and economic links more rapidly than would be the case if such links were to be determined only by market forces [UNCTAD, 1986].
This introductory segment of the study attempts to examine integration and the forces shaping the process amongst and within the disparate and independent nations of a geographical area so described and referred to as “West Africa” would be made.
Very importantly too, the researcher’s approach to this study has also been viewed and governed by notable global integrative activities and pursuits well known and acknowledged, and which also culminated into a string of international integration efforts,
processes and which in turn created the world’s first generation international bodies such as the United Nations [UN], European Union [EU], Organization of African Union [now African Union – AU ], World Bank [WB], International Monetary Fund [IMF], South African Development Cooperation [SADC], Association of southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN], etc.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.
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