ECOWAS Celebrates 50 Years of Trials, Triumphs, Continuous Fights for Regional Unity
ECOWAS Celebrates 50 Years of Trials, Triumphs, Continuous Fights for Regional Unity
Almost fifty years ago, on May 28, 1975, the Economic Community of West African States was birthed, founded on the belief that unity could overcome the region’s many challenges. A group of 15 West African nations came together at a meeting of their heads of state, with a shared vision of economic prosperity, peace, and stability.
The nations; Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo dreamt of an integrated West Africa that would break free from colonial legacies of poverty and political fragmentation. Cape Verde later joined in 1977.
Nigeria’s Head of State at the time of ECOWAS founding was General Yakubu Gowon. President Bola Tinubu is the current ECOWAS Chairman.
As ECOWAS marks its 50th anniversary, its story is one of both remarkable successes and daunting challenges. The question now is whether this once promising regional organisation can adapt to the changing dynamics of the modern world.
A bold vision: The beginnings of ECOWAS
The founding of ECOWAS in 1975 was driven by a shared vision: a united West Africa, where the nations of the region could combine their economic, political, and social strengths to overcome poverty and instability.
The Treaty of Lagos outlined an ambitious framework for achieving this vision, focusing on trade liberalisation, economic cooperation, and regional stability. By eliminating trade barriers and facilitating joint infrastructure projects, ECOWAS sought to create a common economic space where member states could grow together.
The creation of the ECOWAS Trade
Liberalisation Scheme in 1979 was an early victory in this journey. The scheme aimed to remove tariffs and facilitate intra-regional trade, setting the stage for greater economic integration. In addition, the bloc focused on improving the transportation infrastructure that connects the region, such as roads and railways, to boost economic connectivity.
The establishment of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development in 1975 was another significant step, as it provided funding for development projects and fostered economic growth in member states.
The bloc also worked towards proposing a common market through the West African Monetary Zone in 2000, aimed at creating a single currency for the region, “the Eco.”
These efforts signalled ECOWAS’s promise to transform West Africa into a regional economic powerhouse.
Early triumphs: Peace and security
ECOWAS ambitions were not just economic. A key element of its mission was fostering peace and stability, and it quickly became involved in resolving regional conflicts.
One of the most notable interventions was its leadership in Liberia during the brutal civil war that ravaged the country from 1989 to 1997. The peacekeeping force, ECOMOG (ECOWAS Monitoring Group), was deployed to restore order and broker peace in Liberia.
The eventual peace agreement in 1997, which led to the establishment of a democratic government, was seen as a victory for ECOWAS’s peace-building efforts.
Similarly, in Sierra Leone, ECOWAS stepped in to resolve the civil war that had torn the country apart during the 1990s. ECOWAS once again deployed peacekeepers under ECOMOG, playing a critical role in maintaining stability and securing a peace agreement in 1999. These interventions earned ECOWAS praise for its proactive approach to peacekeeping and its commitment to regional stability.
The establishment of the West African Standby Force further strengthened ECOWAS capacity to respond to crises. This rapid-response military force was designed to address security challenges across the region, and its success in Côte d’Ivoire during the post-election crisis of 2011 is another example of the growing influence in regional peace and security by the organisation.
In October last year, the regional body hinted at the establishment of a 5,000-man kinetic force to tackle terrorism in the region and recently, it activated its standby force to combat terrorism in the sub-region.
Humanitarian assistance
ECOWAS also played a role in addressing humanitarian crises in the region. In addition to its peacekeeping and conflict mediation efforts, ECOWAS has been involved in providing relief during times of natural disasters or humanitarian emergencies.
For instance, ECOWAS assisted in response to flooding in West Africa and the Ebola outbreak in 2014. The organisation worked with local governments and international partners to mobilise resources for both emergency relief and long-term recovery.
Additionally, ECOWAS established the ECOWAS Emergency Response Team, which coordinates the delivery of aid and resources to communities affected by conflict and disaster. The response to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia showed its proactive involvement in mitigating the spread of the virus and improving healthcare infrastructures.
ECOWAS also focused on enhancing regional education and capacity-building through initiatives aimed at fostering knowledge, leadership, and skills development. Programmes such as the European Union-ECOWAS Scholarship Programme have provided opportunities for young people from member states to pursue higher education and vocational training. This focus on education strengthens human capital in the region and promotes development.
Last year, the bloc announced plans to invest $380m in electrifying public schools and health centres across 18 countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Chad, and other nations in West Africa and the Sahel region.
Challenges and setbacks: The rise of instability
Despite its early successes, the West African bloc has faced challenges recently, particularly in maintaining democratic governance across its member states. In the past two decades, there has been a worrying rise in military coups across the region, undermining the democratic values that ECOWAS initially championed.
The coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic have posed serious obstacles for the organisation. In Mali, the military seized power in 2020, and again in 2021, leading to widespread condemnation from ECOWAS and other international bodies. Similarly, the military coup in Guinea in 2021 and the series of coups in Burkina Faso have raised alarms about the weakening of democracy in West Africa. In July 2023, members of the Niger Presidential Guard deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup.
Following the coup, ECOWAS was forced to respond with sanctions and diplomatic pressure, but its actions have often been insufficient to restore civilian rule. The bloc’s ability to enforce its mandates and restore stability has been hampered by internal divisions, a lack of resources, and the reluctance of some member states to take firm actions against the military juntas.
Security and terrorism: A region under siege
While political instability has plagued many West African countries, another challenge has been the rise of terrorism and extremist violence. The Sahel region, in particular, has become a hotbed for groups like Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. These extremist organisations have destabilised large areas, spreading violence and terror across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and beyond.
According to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index, the epicentre of terrorism has shifted from the Middle East and North Africa into the sub-Saharan African region, largely in the Sahel region.
ECOWAS has worked in partnership with the African Union and other regional organisations to counter these threats, but the challenge remains immense. The withdrawal of Mali from the G5 Sahel joint force in 2021 further hindered efforts to coordinate counter-terrorism operations, leaving member states vulnerable to growing extremist influence.
The instability caused by these groups has displaced millions, disrupted livelihoods, and deepened the humanitarian crisis across the region. ECOWAS has struggled to address the root causes of extremism, such as poor governance, economic disenfranchisement, and environmental degradation, leaving its peacekeeping missions overstretched and underfunded.
During the 49th anniversary celebration, themed “Strengthening Regional Unity, Peace, and Security,” the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, acknowledged the security challenges and called for unity among member states as a crucial step towards ending insecurity in the sub-region.
Economic integration: Progress amid disparities
The goal of economic integration remains a cornerstone of its mission, but the reality has been more complex. While efforts such as the ETLS and the creation of EBID have laid the groundwork for greater trade and investment, significant barriers remain.
The region is marked by vast economic disparities, with countries like Nigeria and Ghana experiencing growth, while others like Sierra Leone and Liberia facing high levels of poverty.
The proposed common currency, the “Eco,” has also faced repeated delays, with member states unable to agree on the terms for its implementation.
In 2000, the countries of West Africa expressed a renewed commitment to this goal by accelerating the creation of a single currency. Initially, the plan was to have WAMZ launch the ECO currency in 2015 as the first phase. The second phase would involve merging the WAMZ with the West African Monetary Union, culminating in a unified currency across all fifteen ECOWAS Member States by 2020.
Despite several initial efforts to establish the ECO, the plan faced numerous delays. These delays occurred in 2003, 2005, and 2009, primarily due to challenges related to insufficient economic convergence and inadequate preparation among the member states.
In July 2014, West African authorities formally acknowledged the setbacks and abandoned the January 2015 launch. They revised their strategy, deciding to forgo the interim phase with a single currency for WAMU and instead targeted 2020 to launch a single currency for the entire ECOWAS region.
In 2024, The ECOWAS Commission President lamented the low trade volume among member states. He said the intra-community trade stood at 12 per cent. On the whole, in Africa, the intra-continental trade was 20 per cent, which was extremely low.
Humanitarian struggles: Climate change and displacement
In addition to political and economic instability, West Africa faces significant humanitarian challenges. West Africa is home to some of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The conflict in Mali and the growing insecurity in Burkina Faso and Niger have displaced millions of people, exacerbating poverty, hunger, and disease.
In 2024, the European Union released €5.4m in humanitarian aid to help the most affected populations in the aftermath of the devastating floods in Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali and Burkina Faso. More than 4.4 million people were estimated to be affected in the six countries.
The displacement caused by ongoing conflict has also strained regional resources and led to tensions between host countries and displaced populations. For instance, the influx of refugees into neighbouring countries such as Mauritania, Niger, and Ivory Coast has put pressure on their already fragile economies and social systems.
ECOWAS has been criticised for its inadequate response to these humanitarian crises. While the organisation has provided some support in terms of relief efforts and peacekeeping, its capacity to address the root causes of displacement—such as political instability, extremism, and climate change—has been limited.
West Africa is one of the most vulnerable in Africa to the effects of climate change. The Sahel, in particular, faces increasing desertification, while other areas experience frequent floods, droughts, and erratic rainfall. These climate-related issues have significantly impacted agriculture, which remains the backbone of many West African economies.
According to the World Bank, climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which could push millions more people into poverty. The shrinking of Lake Chad, which serves as a critical water source for millions of people in Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria, is a stark example of how environmental degradation is exacerbating regional instability, according to the African Development Bank.
ECOWAS has made some progress in addressing climate change through initiatives such as the ECOWAS Policy Framework on Climate Change, however, the organisation still lacks the resources and coordination mechanisms to tackle the issue effectively.
The road ahead: Can ECOWAS adapt?
As ECOWAS celebrates its 50th anniversary, the future of the organisation remains uncertain. The rise of military coups, the persistent threat of terrorism, and the slow pace of economic integration have all contributed to a sense of crisis within the region. Yet, the potential for ECOWAS to reinvent itself remains.
A retired envoy, Amb Rasheed Akinkuolie, expressed confidence in ECOWAS’s continued relevance and strength despite challenges like insurgency in the Sahel and military juntas in some member states.
Akinkuolie pointed to the organisation’s past achievements such as the introduction of a common passport, the free movement of citizens, and peacekeeping efforts through ECOMOG as evidence of its enduring power.
“ECOWAS is still very strong and relevant today, as ever, despite the challenges of insurgency in the Sahel region and the military juntas that took three members out of the community. These challenges will be overcome sooner than later.
“The three countries will be re-admitted, when the juntas are ousted from power and civilian rule is restored.
“The strength of ECOWAS should be seen from the perspective of past achievements such as the common passport, free movement of citizens within the community, ECOMOG and peacekeeping.”
He believed that ECOWAS would not dissolve in the next 50 years and envisioned the eventual integration of all African regional organisations into a unified political and economic bloc, with a shared currency and common market.
The ex-envoy stressed that ECOWAS will overcome current challenges and only grow stronger in the future.
He explained, “It is not likely that ECOWAS will be dissolved in the course of the next 50 years. Together is always better and working as a team makes confronting common challenges easier. The ultimate objective should be the integration of all the regional communities in Africa ( SADC, East African Economic Community, Arab Maghreb Union, COMESA, ECOWAS) etc coming together, as one entity with a common currency, common market, and a political and economic union. ECOWAS is still one of the strongest regional communities and it cannot dissolve, but will rather grow stronger and better.”
In contrast, ex-Ambassador Amedu Ogbole-Ode took a more cautious stance. While acknowledging the historical importance of ECOWAS, he notes that the organisation has been weakened by the departures of Mauritania in 2000 and more recently, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
Ogbole-Ode said, “From the perspective of its membership when it was founded in 1975 to its membership today, this regional economic community has been numerically weakened.”
The ex-diplomat believed ECOWAS’s future relevance would depend on the successful implementation of integration policies and whether the countries that left can be convinced to rejoin.
He also pointed to external influences, particularly the disruptive actions of the French government, as a challenge that ECOWAS must address to remain viable. He urged the organisation to confront these issues and ensure the reasons behind the recent exits are properly understood and resolved.
“That will depend on how successfully the regional organisation implements its integration policies and also, if the members that exited are convinced or persuaded to return to the fold. This will involve the organisation undertaking some serious housekeeping vis-a-vis the reasons advanced for quitting.”
A foreign affairs analyst, Charles Onunaiju, noted the bloc’s failure to fully realise its initial economic goals since its establishment in 1975. Onunaiju pointed out that while ECOWAS has made progress in security cooperation, particularly with its involvement in Liberia and Sierra Leone, its economic objectives—such as free movement of goods and people, infrastructural connectivity, and a common currency—remain unmet.
Onunaiju stated, “Ordinarily, people expect free movement of goods and persons within the subregion. We are expecting connectivity, and fiscal infrastructure connectivity within the region. Even talk of a common currency within the region. Building an economy of scale within the region in which the region forms a formidable market. But this hasn’t happened. All this has not happened.”
According to the foreign affairs expert, the lack of integration in the subregion has hindered the formation of a competitive market, which was a key expectation for ECOWAS.
He asserted, “50 years down the line, ECOWAS is still yet to meet some of the high objectives of which it was founded in 1975.”
Onunaiju also discussed the impact of Nigeria’s leadership within the organisation, citing recent diplomatic failures, such as Nigeria’s stance on Niger, which has led to cracks in ECOWAS unity, adding “And unfortunately, ECOWAS experienced a very first crack on the Nigerian leadership also.”
Further, Onunaiju highlighted the growing discontent among some countries in the region, including the potential departure of Benin and Togo from ECOWAS to join the Alliance of Sahel States. He suggested, “Recently, we heard that Benin is considering joining the Alliance of Sahel States, despite not being military-led. We also learned that Togo is considering joining the Alliance of Sahel States, which means that ECOWAS will come under severe pressure if these countries join the Alliance of Sahel States.”
He stressed that this could further destabilise ECOWAS, stating, “These are existential issues in the future of ECOWAS.”
Ultimately, Onunaiju argued that unless ECOWAS adapts to current realities and addresses the concerns of its member states, it risks becoming irrelevant. He concluded, “So, except something is done to reflect the current realities in the sub-region, to reflect the concerns of members in the sub-region, to reflect their worries, I think ECOWAS may gradually become irrelevant.”
The challenges are immense, but ECOWAS has the potential to transform West Africa into a truly united, prosperous, and peaceful region. If it can adapt to the changing dynamics of the 21st century, ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary may be seen as the beginning of a new chapter in its quest for regional unity and stability.
As the Economic Community of West African States marks its 50th anniversary, GIFT HABIB reflects on its journey from an economic union to a regional powerhouse, navigating both triumphs and trials in its quest for unity and integration
