REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN WEST AFRICA SUBREGION: AN EVALUATION OF ECOWAS 2015 -
Abstract
Regional economic integration has long been viewed as a strategic pathway to sustainable development, particularly for underdeveloped and fragmented economies in West Africa. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), founded in 1975, was established to promote trade liberalization, policy harmonization, and collective self-reliance among its fifteen member states. Despite the adoption of multiple protocols such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), the Common External Tariff (CET), and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons the region continues to experience low levels of intra-regional trade, infrastructural deficits, and weak institutional compliance. This study critically examines the performance of ECOWAS as a regional integration body between 2013 and 2023, with specific focus on its achievements, challenges, and the gap between its policy frameworks and actual implementation. Anchored on Balassa’s Theory of Economic Integration, the research adopts a qualitative descriptive case study approach and relies on documentary analysis of ECOWAS protocols, academic literature, institutional reports, and regional economic data. Findings reveal that while ECOWAS has made commendable progress in establishing legal and institutional frameworks, its integration agenda is hindered by overlapping regional memberships, political instability, inadequate infrastructure, and a persistent lack of political will. The study concludes that the effectiveness of ECOWAS as an engine of regional integration depends on stronger institutional enforcement, improved infrastructure, harmonization of trade policies, and greater commitment from member states. It recommends revitalizing political cohesion, streamlining overlapping regional frameworks, and enhancing intra-African trade mechanisms as essential steps toward achieving meaningful economic integration in West Africa.
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