ECOWAS at 49: Scholar urges bloc to deepen integration for economic growth

Several scholars have been at the forefront of the advocacy for the need for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to strengthen her integration and trade liberalisation efforts at fostering economic growth and development.

The need for enhanced regional integration has been recommended by scholars in international economics as a significant concern for the ECOWAS. Going down memory lane, several empirical postulations have been introduced by economists on ECOWAS regional trade, including its determinants.

One of the prominent advocates for ECOWAS enhanced regional integration and trade liberalisation has been Dr Luqman Olanrewaju Afolabi of the Faculty of Economics and Management Science, Department of Economics and Statistics, Kabale University, Uganda.

Earlier in 2020, a chapter in a book “A Multi-dimensional Economic Assessment of Africa published by Springer Nature, had showcased one of the works of Dr Afolabi on the need for regional reintegration and enhanced trade liberalisation by ECOWAS. Established in May 2015, Springer Nature has been in the global scene of advancing science and education research, as well as learning, the cornerstones of progress and discovery through trusted brands and innovative products and services.

Springer Nature is the publisher of the world’s most influential journals (over 3,000) and a pioneer in the field of open research. Dr Afolabi’s work on ECOWA,S published on, had the title: “Does Free Trade and Institutional Quality Affect the Economic Community of the West African Trading Bloc?”. Interestingly, the Springer Nature published the work on May 28, 2020, the exact 45 anniversary of the establishment of ECOWAS. ECOWAS was established in May 28, 1975, with the aim of raising living standards and promoting economic development among member nations.

Rising from the advocacies of Dr Afolabi and other scholars, ECOWAS have had a series of interventions and task force committees to review its integrations and trade liberalisations.

Four years after Afolabi’s findings and recommendations to ECOWAS, precisely November 27-29, 2024, ECOWAS National Committees for the Recognition of the Community Origin (NRCVG) met to review recommendations pertaining on trade liberalisation. In a release on the ECOWAS website dated December 3, 2024, with the title: “The Task Force on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme reviews the state of implementation of the recommendations of the Cotonou Declaration on Obstacles to Trade in Originating Products”, the regional body demonstrated its readiness to effectively use research outcomes by scholars to advance its objectives.

Our correspondent had a media chat with Dr Luqman Olanrewaju Afolabi, reviewing progress made by ECOWAS on regional integration and trade liberalisation within the last five years.

According to Dr Afolabi, in the last five years, ECOWAS has made strides in regional integration, particularly through large-scale infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor and continued efforts toward a single currency. He maintained that it is time for ECOWAS to undertake a period of profound institutional introspection and reform to re-establish its credibility and prevent a potential schism, stating that the challenges facing the bloc are not only as a result of political instability in a few states but also a product of deep-rooted crisis of trust and a perceived disconnect between the organization’s policies and the on-the-ground realities faced by its populations.

When asked how ECOWAS can build on its success as it looks toward 50 years of its existence by 2025, Dr Afolabi maintained that “ECOWAS would have to consider strengthening key instruments like the Common External Tariff (CET) to ensure free trade and addressing the persistent reliance of landlocked members on coastal ports. The organisation must also demonstrate clear progress toward a single currency, the “ECO,” and take decisive steps to address concerns over its euro-peg and the controversial foreign reserve policy with the French Treasury.

On the response of ECOWAS to military coups, Afolabi said, “My piece of advice would be to immediately reconsider the bloc’s over-reliance on punitive sanctions. The severe economic measures, including border closures and asset freezes, imposed in response to military coups were widely seen as “inhumane and punitive” by the affected populations and military leaders. These actions not only failed to achieve their objective of restoring democratic rule but also exacerbated the very humanitarian and economic challenges that contributed to the coups in the first place. A more pragmatic and effective strategy would be to pivot toward sustained, people-centred diplomatic engagement that addresses the root causes of the instability, such as citizen disenfranchisement and a failure to adequately address security threats”.

According to Dr Afolabi, “At 49, ECOWAS should proceed to the next stage of integration to enhance economic growth and development. This next phase must prioritise accelerating the launch of a single currency and strengthening infrastructure corridors, while also advancing policy harmonisation and aligning its initiatives with the broader African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. By visibly implementing these strategic programs, the bloc can progressively eliminate barriers to full integration and rebuild the institutional credibility necessary for lasting prosperity.”

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