Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Jan. 30, 2024

Recently, the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the West African bloc ECOWAS.

About Economic Community of West African States:

It is also known as CEDEAO in French.
It is the regional group which was established in 1975 through the Lagos Treaty.
Mandate: Promoting economic integration among its members.
The vision of ECOWAS is the creation of a “borderless region” that is well-integrated and governed in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance.
Members: Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
ECOWAS’ larger aims are to have a single common currency and create a single, large trading bloc in areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial issues, and social and cultural matters.
Along with the goals of economic cooperation, it has attempted to quell military conflicts in the region.
It also operated a regional peacekeeping operation known as ECOMOG, led by Nigeria in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Headquarters: Abuja, Nigeria.