This
tome by Olagbaju and Falola re-evaluates the activities of ECOWAS since its inception in 1975 with
a view to highlighting its major constraints and critical issues for the future
of the sub-region. In doing this, this chapter tries to look into the rationale
for economic cooperation in West Africa. The chapter agrees with Charles
Penthard in defining Economic Cooperation as ‘the coming together of
geographically approximate states which share a sense of inadequacy in dealing
with the problems of security and warfare’. It also affirms that economic
integration as a strategy of socio-political and economic development is now
recognised by most countries. Therefore, the desire to achieve increase in
living standards of the people through economic cooperation has given rise to
ECOWAS.
Peter
Robson in the ‘The Economic of International Integration’ identified the
conditions necessary for a trade creating economic cooperation as:
1. a
large economic area and large number of countries in the union;
2. a
lower average post-union tariff level than the pre-union level;
3. competitive
member states’ economies such that the range of products produced by higher
cost industries in the different parts of the union is similar but their raw
materials should be complementary and
4. larger
intra-union trade than trade with non-members.
Significantly,
Olagbaju and Falola agree with Peter Robison, they further observe that these
conditions that are favourable to a successful economic integration based on
Orthodox Theory are apparently absent in West African countries using ‘Intra
West African Trade Matrix 1975’ published by the United Nations Foreign Trade
Statistics for Africa to buttress this observation.
The
paper also outlines the historical development of cooperation, especially,
economic cooperation in West Africa. It observes that only the French colonies
continued with their pre-independence cooperative efforts, especially in the
economic fields. All links among the former British colonies except the
existence of West African Examination Council were dissolved after independence.
The Union Donaniere
les Etated de l’Afrique Orridentale (UDAO) was formed in the
early 1960s by Cote d’Ivoire, Dahomey (now Republic of Benin), Mauritania,
Mali, Senegal, Niger and Upper Volta. UDAO later became UDEAO (Union
Donaiere des Etas de l’Afrique de Qu’est) in 1966 and was transformed to CEAO
(Communate Economique de l’Afrique de L’Afrique de l’Quest) in 1973.
Olagbaju
and Falola also point out that most of the organisations which sprang up short
after independence were either more or less a continuation of colonial
groupings or patterned and monitored by colonial administrators. They are
reputed for their failures for reasons highlighted by Abdul Zalloh in ‘Political
Integration in French-speaking Africa: Institute of International Studies,
Berkeley, 1973’. Of high significance today, there are about thirty economic
groupings with predominantly West African membership. Eighteen of these
organisations were founded in the 1970s and ECOWAS was one of them.
ECOWAS
Categorically,
the tome states that ECOWAS was formed when the Head of States and governments
or their representatives from 15 West African nations met in Lagos 18th
July 1975 and signed the treaty providing for the establishment of ECOWAS, although
this idea had been conceived before this date.
PROBLEMS OF ECOWAS
The
paper reiterates it earlier position that the various disparities between
member-states particularly in population, land area and resources endowment and
economic development are serious obstacles to integration between and among
ECOWAS member-states.
It
was also observed in the tome that the low per-capital income in West Africa means
low purchasing power in turn limits the scope of industrialisation and diversification.
West African economies are also competitive in terms of raw materials and
production instead of being complimentary. Other problems include the low level
of trade between West African countries, poor infrastructural links among West African
states, the railroad and telecommunications systems were built to serve
individual country. Transport facilities are also geared to the need of
overseas rather intra-regional trade. Intra-regional trade among ECOWAS is therefore
physically difficult, time consuming and costly. A further area of problem
pointed by these writers is the distribution of benefits from integration. The
issue of distributing equitably the gains and/or losses from integration has
been repeatedly identified as a potential threat to the success of ECOWAS,
judging from the experience of similar groupings among developing countries. In
addition, there are other administrative and political problems such as the
effects of colonialism, concentration of power to representatives of Heads of
States (the Authority) and Ministers (in the Council of Ministers) and frequent
political changes in West Africa.
Conclusion
Fundamentally,
Olagbaju and Falola did not mince words in observing that there is a widespread
belief among developing countries especially ECOWAS member-states that economic
integration could be a panacea for encouraging economic development and interchange.
Also, significantly, these writers outlined the historical development of economic
groupings in West Africa especially that of ECOWAS. They go on to highlight
ECOWAS’ goal and aims, and identify the various problems militating against the
progress.
I am of the opinion
that the paper has pointed out the potential problems not out of pessimism
concerning ECOWAS, but as a warming to the decision makers in West Africa to be
better prepared to tackle them. I also pitch my tent with Olagbaju and Falola
that, hopefully, ECOWAS can succeed if there is the sufficient determination
and the right political commitment by member-states
