ECOWAS AT THIRTY-FIVE

By Rebecca Mu'azu

 

Next week the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, will mark its thirty-fifth anniversary. In its thirty-five years of existence, ECOWAS has had its fair share of ups and downs in trying to attain regional integration. These difficulties in political, economic and social sphere notwithstanding, the regional bloc continues to be rated as the most advanced in the whole of Africa.

Since 1975 when the group was established, the promotion of cooperate integration among member-states has been paramount on the agenda of its leaders. ECOWAS has put in place various policies, programmes and structures to actualise those dreams.

Fundamentally, ECOWAS has as its objectives, the achievement of equality and independence of member states and inter-state cooperation, collective self-reliance, as well as the harmonisation of national development policies and integration.

It also aims to achieve non-aggression between member-states and most of all, the maintenance of regional peace, stability and security. This it has largely achieved through the establishment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group, ECOMOG.

Activities and operations of the ECOMOG have lent greater credence to the body's formidable credibility as a peace-keeping and peace-building unit for not only the West Africa coast but indeed, the entire African continent.

ECOMOG played crucial and significant roles in restoring and keeping the peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone. In Liberia, it mediated to end an eight year civil war subsequently facilitated the conduct of democratic elections there.

ECOMOG also restored peace and security in the Sierra Leone's eleven year civil war, contributed in nipping Guinea Bissau's crisis in the bud and assisted in initiating an interim process in Togo. ECOMOG got the endorsement of the African Union and the United Nations as a regional intervention force.

Another strong ECOWAS policy was the transformation of the Secretariat into a Commission which is intended to involve more people and impact positively on the lives of the region's citizens. Since 1995, ECOWAS has equally been pursuing the attainment of free trade, elimination of custom duties and taxes, as well as removal of non-tariff barriers on trading of goods within member-states. It also aims to harmonise customs document, liberalise trade schemes as well as organise regional trade fairs.

One of the more tangible benefits of ECOWAS regional development is the attainment of the free movement of persons, goods and services. This development, like in Europe, brings about the abolition of entry visas and the introduction of ECOWAS passport for citizens which confers on them the right to reside and establish businesses in member-countries. ECOWAS has equally adopted a common agricultural policy, seed production centres in nine member-states and established cattle breeding centres in three member-countries.

The organisation has also taken steps to make maximum use of its energy resources by establishing the West African Power Pool and the promotion of the West African Gas Pipeline Project. The regional organization has also connected West African capitals by automatic telephone, telex and telefax links, through the intercom one programme.

Although, ECOWAS deserve commendation for its efforts in achieving its set objectives, a lot still needs to be done.

For instance, the regional body has continued to postpone the take-off date of its common currency. The common currency, when it becomes operational will not only facilitate economic activities between countries in the region, it will also enhance the integration process.

Also, ECOWAS should take bold steps to stop extortion of money from travellers by border personnel. This is an established obstacle to the regional body's objective of abolishing trade obstacles to the region.

It is only when this is done that the region would have achieved its aspirations of economic development and integration.