ROBERT MUGABE

SCHOOL OF
EDUCATION AND
CULTURE

NAME: ELISE HOVE

REG NUMBER: M224896

COURSE CODE: TDSH 111

COURSE NARRATION: HISTORY OF AFRICA SINCE 1884

LEVEL: 1:1

PROGRAM: BED SECONDARY (PRE-SERVICE)

QUESTION: Examine the achievements of regional organization of your own choice.

LECTURER: MR TASARA
MARK:
COMMENT:
Economic Community of West Africa is amongst the regional organizations which has been
created in the African continent. The achievements of Economic Community of West Africa
(ECOWAS) include development of regional infrastructure, consolidation of peace and security
in member states, humanitarian assistance and socio economic recovery and reintegration,
Rehabilitation and Equipping of Prosthetics/ Handicap Center in Guinea Bussau, improvement
of education, promotion of inter-regional trade within regions, improved agriculture through
sharing of technological know-how as well as facilitated free movement of people in the region.
However, there are challenges of ECOWAS which range from terrorism and violent extremism,
to piracy, political instability, smuggling for example drug trafficking. It can thus be anticipated
that a discussion on ECOWAS may yield more achievements than challenges simply manifesting
the effectiveness of that regional organization.

Regional organizations (ROs) are, in a sense, international organizations (IOs), as they

incorporate international membership and encompass geopolitical entities that operationally
transcend a single nation state according to Spandler (2018). This implies that, regional
organizations are a subcategory of international organization; they can be financial and
nonfinancial institutions.

In brief, the ECOWAS union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of
Lagos, with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region according to
Adeyemi (2003). A revised version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in
Cotonou. The regional group has 15 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte
d‘Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra
Leone and Togo (Bensah, 2013).

ECOWAS has contributed to the development of infrastructure in the region. Progress is seen in
the sectors which include road transport, ports, air transport, railways, power and ICT. Several
major international gateways in West Africa that facilitate trade has been made thus the
development of road transport. Container and general cargo traffic moving through West
Africa’s ports increased substantially between 1995 and 2005 due to the establishment of
efficient sea ports like Abidjan Apapa Cotonou Dakar Harcourt Lomé and Tema. Considering
the issue of railways according to Ranganathan and Foster (2015), two relatively successful
binational concessions became another achievement which promoted the development of
infrastructure. Ranganathan and Foster (2015) say, the rail lines serving landlocked Mali and
Burkina Faso via Senegal and Côte d‘Ivoire respectively have been developed as integrated
operations Transrail and Sitarail linking the landlocked capitals to coastal ports. In contrast to
arrangements in much of southern Africa, this configuration allows for smooth passage of goods
across national borders and avoids the lengthy delays otherwise associated with the switching of
locomotives as freight moves from one national network to another. In the case of air transport,
the ECOWAS managed to establish reasonable levels of interregional connectivity whereas West
African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and Banjul Access Group (BAG) are most
liberalized markets in Africa. ECOWAS has improved access to Information Communication
and Technology (ICT) services among highest in Africa. Significantly cheaper to call on landline
within ECOWAS than outside the region and roaming arrangements relatively advanced.
Associated regional telecom regulators have been active in promoting harmonization. Well-
endowed with submarine cable infrastructure has also been achieved in West Africa. This clearly
indicate the effectiveness of ECOWAS as it is developing infrastructure in western Africa hence
leading to economic development.

ECOWAS has successfully consolidated peace and security in member states. The ECOWAS
Peace Fund through its programs and projects has achieved the consolidation of peace and
security in conflict-affected countries in the ECOWAS Region. The ECOWAS also serves as a
peacekeeping force in the region, with member states occasionally sending joint military forces
to intervene in the bloc's member countries at times of political instability and unrest according
to Adeyemi (2003). The countries include Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Niger,
Cote d’Ivoire and Mali where preventive diplomacy and mediation missions were deployed,
electoral processes were supported to mitigate the cases of election based violence. The offices
of the Special Representatives of the President of ECOWAS Commission in the relevant
countries were also supported. It was the Liberian conflict that led to the establishment of
ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) as the first peacekeeping and peace enforcement
mission set up a regional economic body in the world (Galadima, 2006; Golwa, 2009). In August
1990, an ECOMOG force with membership drawn from Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra
Leone were put in place, thereby making it a primary source of security and stability in Liberia
(Aning, 1994). Nevertheless, the critical challenges which are being faced by ECOWAS in trying
to maintain peace include terrorism. ECOWAS security apparatus suffer from financial burden
and political interference and its forces receive insufficient training, lack of preparation and
inadequate military equipment. This lead to weak interventions and weakened the security of the
region and ability to overcome the activities of Boko Haram terrorist group. This clearly shows
that, ECOWAS is failing to maintain peace and security in the whole region since there is
political unrest in Nigeria.

In addition, Humanitarian assistance and Socio Economic Recovery and Reintegration is counted
as an achievement which has been done by ECOWAS. The ECOWAS Peace Fund successfully
provided humanitarian assistance to, and powered the socio economic recovery and reintegration
of vulnerable groups like refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons in Liberia, Sierra
Leone, Guinea and Guinea Bissau. Housing, equipment for agriculture, water and sanitation,
education and health facilities, income generating activities were also provided to more than
41,000 people (Adebanjo, 2004). Also, capacity building projects were undertaken in which
Government agencies, civil society organization and local stakeholders benefitted in order to
facilitate the delivery of support and assistance to the targeted groups. This eventually
contributed to the development of many individuals socially and economically hence
improvement of living standards of ECOWAS citizens. Therefore, one can actually note the
achievements which are being done by ECOWAS in western African states for instance the
provision of economic and social support to the victims of conflicts in the region.

Also, Rehabilitation and Equipping of Prosthetics or Handicap Center in Guinea Bussau is

among the achievements done by ECOWAS as one of the regional organizations created in
Africa. The ECOWAS Peace Fund successfully rehabilitated and equipped the prosthetics or
handicap center in Guinea Bissau. The facility is currently providing artificial limbs to injured
people from across the country and beyond, thus restoring their dignity and healing process
(Adetula, 2009). ECOWAS is working hand in glove with a number of international partners,
including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ensuring humanitarian
protection and assistance for victims of war and other situations of violence. According to News
Release (2011), the rehabilitation center started providing quality care for amputees on 25 March
2011. Physiotherapy department joined the program on April 2011 according to the leader of
ICRC rehabilitation project, Gerd van de Velde. Nonetheless, the center was built in the 1980s
and was a reference center for the countries of the region before being destroyed in the 1998-
1999 civil war. Guinea-Bissau therefore had no facility for treating the victims of the conflicts
that have affected the country until March 2011. This indicates the hindrances which are
lowering the achievements of ECOWAS in West African states.

Furthermore, the achievements of Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) include

educational improvement. The ECOWAS Protocol on Education and Training recognizes
education and training as an indispensable part of the mechanism for the realization of the
objectives of the Community. It considers education as a major contributor to the socio-
economic of girls and young women (Ayittey, 2005). The Protocol in its preamble expresses the
need to educate and train girls on factors of sustainable development. It also provides for the
elimination of all kinds of obstacles or discriminatory measures to access to education by young
women with an end goal of their sustainable development. The priorities of ECOWAS Protocol
on Education and Training include HIV/AIDS preventive education, girl’s education, teacher
training through distance learning, promotion of science and technology as well as Technical and
Vocational Educational and Training (Ayittey, 2005). The objectives of the ECOWAS protocol
are to provide all community citizens greater access to quality education and training
opportunities available in the region, harmonize criteria for admission into institutions of higher
learning, research institutions, and vocational training centers and harmonize certificates; and
progressively harmonize the educational and training systems in the Member States.

Also, the ECOWAS can be credited for the promotion of inter-regional trade within regions, free
movement, agriculture and mining which eventually lead to industrial development. The
provisions of Lagos treaty marked inexpensive trade in West African states. ECOWAS takes a
gradual approach to the evolution of a common tariff policy and the liberalization of trade. The
ECOWAS pact dictates that during the fifteen-year period customs duties or other charges with
equivalent effect on imports must be eliminated. In addition, quota, quantitative, and other non-
tariff barriers have to be removed (Zagaris, 1978). The treaty of Lagos also states that, industrial
cooperation will be facilitated through the abolishment of all obstacles to free movement for
residents within ECOWAS and allow all ECOWAS citizens to work and undertake commercial
activities in other Member States without holding visas and resident permits. Cooperation in
agriculture and natural resources has been realized by ECOWAS. The members of ECOWAS
have agreed that, cooperation will be achieved by harmonizing internal and external policies in
relation with one another, regularly exchanging information on experiments and research, and
joint programming for training. Member States have agreed to pursue a common policy,
especially in the fields of research, training, animal husbandry, and fisheries. The Industrial,
Agriculture and Natural Resources Commission then recommended to the Council of Ministers
methods to harmonize and exploit the natural resources of the Member States (Zagaris, 1978).
However, the region falls behind other African regions when measured in terms of economic
progress including the high level of transaction costs, excessive checkpoints in extortion, and
ultimately severe cross-border smuggling of drugs hence illegal trading (Bybee, 2012). The
illegal form of trade is clear to be caused by the free movement which has been suggested by
Lagos treaty. From all indications, ECOWAS comes across as a peacekeeping mission rather
than an economic community. Bybee (2012) suggest that, success has mainly been in promoting
democracy, resolving political crises, and maintaining the peace among member states rather
than trade creation. Hence, one can be of the view that, although the organization is successful
there are some challenges tend to weaken its position.

Notwithstanding, it is important to note that ECOWAS treaty implementations have produced

mixed results. The problems of bad governance, corruption, insecurity, poverty, and
unemployment remain rife across ECOWAS member states. Currently, the region is battling
terrorism and internal security challenges due to activities of Boko Haram in North-Western
Nigeria, Niger, and at the Cameroon borders, bandits, and armed herdsmen. Attempts to set up
the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union have been unsuccessful (Bensah, 2013). The
establishment of a common monetary union in the region is an integral part of the vision of the
founding actors, but this vision has yet to be realized. The liberalization program has failed to
achieve the desired results. Consequently, economic development has been slow.

Basing on the information provided in the main discussion, it is clear that to a larger scope
ECOWAS if successful economically, politically and socially although there are some challenges
encountered in sometimes standing as threat to its progress. For example, ECOWAS can be
credited for the consolidation of peace and security but terrorism in Nigeria and other parts of
Western region is currently a challenge which is likely to cause the spread of political instability
all over the region. In light of this, the regional organization is trying its best but challenges are
leading it to retrogression hence one can understand the effectiveness of ECOWAS as one of all
regional organizations in Africa.

REFERENCES:

Adebanjo, A. (2004). Pax West Africana? Regional security mechanism, in Adebajo, A and
Rashid, I (eds) West Africa’s security.

Adetula, O. A. V. (2009). The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the
Challenges of integration in West Africa, in Ogwu, J.U and Alli, W.O (eds) ECOWAS:
Milestones in regional integration. Lagos: The Nigerian institute of international Affairs.

Adeyemi, S. (2003). "West African Leaders Agree on Deployment to Liberia". Jane's Defence
Weekly.

Aning, E. K. (1994). Managing regional security in West Africa: ECOWAS, ECOMOG and
Liberia, Working Paper No. 94:2. Centre for Development Research, Copenhagen.

Ayittey, G. N. B (2005). Africa unchained: the blueprint for in Africa. Economic Research
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Bybee, A. N. (2012). The Twenty-First Century Expansion of the Transnational Drug Trade in
Africa. Columbia University

Bensah, E. K. (2013). "Communicating the ECOWAS Message (4): A New Roadmap for the
Ouedraogo Commission (1)". Modernghana.com.

Galadima, S. H. (2006). Peace support operations in Africa, in Best, G.S (eds) Introduction to
peace and conflict studies in West Africa: A reader. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Limited.

Golwa, J. (2009). ECOWAS and conflict management in West Africa, in Ogwu, J.U and Alli,
W.O (eds) ECOWAS: Milestones in regional integration. Lagos: The Nigerian institute of
International Affairs.
Ranganathan, R. and Foster, V. ECOWAS’s Infrastructure: A Regional Perspective. Policy
Research Working Paper

Spandler, K. (2018). Regional Organizations in International Society: ASEAN, the EU and the
Politics of Normative Arguing. Palgrave Macmillan.

News Release (2011). Guinea-Bissau: physical rehabilitation centre re-opens.

https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/news-release/2011/guinea-bissau-news-2011-
03-25.htm

Zagaris, B. (1978) The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): An Analysis
and Prospects. Vol. 10. Case Werstern Reserve University.