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    Geography Assgn - Google Drive

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    Marvin Kosia
    ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is a regional organization established in 1975 with the goal of promoting economic integration among its 16 member states. Its key institutions include the Authority of Heads of State and Government, Council of Ministers, Executive Secretariat, and technical commissions. ECOWAS aims to promote cooperation, eliminate trade barriers, and harmonize policies across member states to increase prosperity in West Africa. While it has helped increase trade and economic growth, ECOWAS faces ongoing challenges including political instability, non-implementation of policies, and difficulties from differences in language and currency across members.

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    Geography Assgn - Google Drive

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    Marvin Kosia
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    ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is a regional organization established in 1975 with the goal of promoting economic integration among its 16 member states. Its key institutions include the Authority of Heads of State and Government, Council of Ministers, Executive Secretariat, and technical commissions. ECOWAS aims to promote cooperation, eliminate trade barriers, and harmonize policies across member states to increase prosperity in West Africa. While it has helped increase trade and economic growth, ECOWAS faces ongoing challenges including political instability, non-implementation of policies, and difficulties from differences in language and currency across members.

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    Tells us about minerals found in Sierra Leone.

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    Geography assgn - Google Drive

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    ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is a regional organization established in 1975 with the goal of promoting economic integration among its 16 member states. Its key institutions include the Authority of Heads of State and Government, Council of Ministers, Executive Secretariat, and technical commissions. ECOWAS aims to promote cooperation, eliminate trade barriers, and harmonize policies across member states to increase prosperity in West Africa. While it has helped increase trade and economic growth, ECOWAS faces ongoing challenges including political instability, non-implementation of policies, and difficulties from differences in language and currency across members.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    45 views8 pages

    Geography Assgn - Google Drive

    Uploaded by

    Marvin Kosia
    ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is a regional organization established in 1975 with the goal of promoting economic integration among its 16 member states. Its key institutions include the Authority of Heads of State and Government, Council of Ministers, Executive Secretariat, and technical commissions. ECOWAS aims to promote cooperation, eliminate trade barriers, and harmonize policies across member states to increase prosperity in West Africa. While it has helped increase trade and economic growth, ECOWAS faces ongoing challenges including political instability, non-implementation of policies, and difficulties from differences in language and currency across members.

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    of 8

    ECOWAS

    GROUP MEMBERS
    Amad Lobba
    Mohamed Marah
    Gladstone Fornah

    may be defined as a sub-regional organisation by West Africa countries mainly to


    promote co-operations and development in all economic fields and of contributing to
    the progress and development of the African continent.

    Origin of ecowas: on the historic date of 28th May, 1975, heads of states and
    the government of 15 important states of West Africa converged in Lagos, where they
    signed the treaty formally establishing ECOWAS.
    That day was the finest day in the post-independence history of West Africa,
    aimed purposely at liberating West Africa countries economically form the shackles of
    imperialism. ECOWAS has its headquarters in Abuja. Nigeria, where the main
    administrative and executive functions of the community and other services are
    performed. The seat of operations of the fund for co-operation, compensation and
    development of Lome, Togo.
    The community has 16 member-states made up of 11 francophone and 5
    anglophone countries

    *INSTITUTIONS OR ORGANS OF ECOWAS


    The treaty formally establishing ECOWAS provided for the following organs:
    1. The Authority of Heads of State and Government, composed of all the 16 leaders
    of the member states, which is the supreme authority

    2. The Council of Ministers made up of 2 ministers or representatives from each


    member state. It monitors the functioning and development of the community and
    makes recommendation to the authority.

    3. The Executive Secretariat in Abuja, which performs the functions of the


    administrative community

    4. The Tribunal of the community. Whose main functions are the treaty and ensuring
    the observance of law and justice.

    5. Five Technical and Specialised commissions viz:


    (i) The trade, customs, immigration, monetary and payment commission.
    (ii) The industry, agriculture and natural resources commission.
    ECOWAS

    (iii) The transport, communication and energy commission.


    (iv) The social and cultural affairs commission.
    (v) The Defence commission.

    *AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF ECOWAS


    The aims and objs of ECOWAS as were set out under article 2 of the treaty are
    as follows:

    1. Promotion of Cooperation And Development: To promote co-operation and


    development in all fields of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy,
    agriculture, natural resources, commerce monetary and financial questions and social
    and cultural matters for the purpose if raising the standard of living of its people, or
    fostering close relations among its members and of contributing to the progress and
    development of African Continent.

    2. Elimination Of Customs Duties: To eliminate customs duties and other charges in


    respect of goods between member countries.

    3. Abolition Of Trade Restrictions: The abolition of quantitative and administrative


    restrictions on trade among member states.

    4. Establishment Of common tariff: The establishment of common custom tariff and


    common commercial policy towards third world countries.

    5. Abolition Of Obstacles To Free Movement: The abolition between the member


    states of the obstacles to the free movement of persons, services and capitals.

    6. Harmonization Of Agricultural Policies: The harmonization of the agricultural


    policies in the member states, notably inthe fields of marketing research and
    agro-industrial enterprises.

    7. Implementation Of Infastructural Policies: The implementation of schemes for


    the joint development of transport, communication energy and other infastructural
    facilities as well as the evolution of a common policy in these fields.

    8. Harmonization Of Economic And Industrial Policies: The harmonization of the


    economic and industrial of the member of states and the elimination of disparities in
    the levels of development of member states.

    9. Hormonization Of Monetary Policies: The harmonization required for the proper


    functioning of the community and of the monetary policies of the member of states.
    ECOWAS

    10. Establishment Of Common Fund: The establishment of fund for co-operation,


    compensation and development.

    *SUCCESSES OF ECOWAS
    1. ECOWAS Awareness: since the estabishment of ECOWAS, there has been
    an increased sense in the community spirit in the West African sub-region at
    all levels.

    2. Trade Liberalization: This has contributed to the promotion of trade in


    West Africa.

    3. Increase In Competition: This healthy competition takes place in all fields


    of endeavour and has assed to the development pace of this sub-region.

    4. Exchange Of Raw Materials: Liberalization of trade is unprocessed goods


    in one of the three components of the trade liberalization as contained in the
    Treaty of the community.

    5. Expansion Of Market: This has lead to mass production and increase in


    supplyof goods in this part of the world

    6. Execution Of Joint Projects: The community serves as an avenue for the


    planning and execution of joint projects by member states.

    7. Increase In Bargaining Power: By coming together under the banner of


    ECOWAS, the bargaining power of member nations in the world market has
    increased thereby improving their terms of trade.

    8. Availability Of More Labour: The community has made more labour


    available frpom member countries where thay are in abundance to area of
    relative scarcity

    9. High Standard Of Living: This resulted for the increase in production and
    supply of goods, reduction of prices, free movement of labour, e.t.c.
    ECOWAS

    10. Fostering Of Unity: The community has brought all 16 member nations
    together and enhanced more friendly atmosphere among them

    11. Establishment Of ECOBANK: This has given a boost to sub-regional


    banking transactions.

    12. General Economic Growth: This economic growth will soon make West
    Africa to be self sufficient and self reliant.

    13. Miscellaneous Achievements: These areas include, the field of transport,


    communication energy, agriculture, defence, social and cultural activities.

    *PROBLEMS OF ECOWAS
    1. Problems Posed By Immigrants: The article 27 of the ECOWAS treaty
    which granted community citizens freedom of movement and residence within
    the community has created and escalated the problems of illegal aliens.

    2. Increase of Social Vices: The presence of this community citizens in some


    members states like Nigeria, has escalated the waves of arm robbery, religious
    bigotry, arson, ,murder, etc.

    3. Problem Of Language: Differences of languages has greatly militated


    against the efficient functioning of thr community.

    4. Currency Differences: This problem has warranted as many as ten


    different currencies in the sub-region and has made common payment system
    difficult among the member states, which has contributed to the near failure of
    the community.

    5. Fear Of Domination And Unequal Development: The poorer members


    fear that as a result of unequal distribution of natural resources both in humen
    and material endowment, the little they have will be taken away from them and
    given to those who have more.

    6. Escalation Of Smuggling: This problem of smuggling is exacerbated by


    the free movement of the community citizens.
    ECOWAS

    7. Multiplicity Of Other Associations: Many member states belongs to many


    associations where they pay more loyalty and dues than they do to ECOWAS.

    8. Affinity Of Former Colonial Masters: The worst offenders of this are the
    francophone countries that are yet to cut the economic chains binding them
    with france and they display more allegiance to this former colonial master
    than to ECOWAS.

    9. Lack Of Enough Infastructure: This has contributed immersely in delaying


    achievements of the aims and objectives of the community.

    10. Political Instability: As a result of this, many leaders that show great
    interest in ECOWAS do not stay in office for a longer time to help in
    achievement of the above aims and objectives.

    11. Non-Policy Implementation: This problem led to the non-achievement of


    anything by the community in its first decade.

    12. Inadequate Contribution Of Resources: The resources both financial


    and human contributed by the member states have always fallen short of the
    requirement of the community.

    13. Weak National Link With The secretariat: This has made the secretariat
    to be unable to know about the happenings in member states and the
    development strategies.

    14. Congestion: This cauesd by the Article 27 of the community’s Charter


    which encourages migration from one member state to another.

    *SOLUTION OF ECOWAS
    1. Expansion Of Markets: The demand fo the productd will increase as there
    will be wider opportunities for member nations to sell their products in other
    member states.
    ECOWAS

    2. Availability Of More Goods: Member nations will have the opportunity of


    getting more goods from another member nations.

    3. Increase In Standard Of Living: This is as a result of the fact that more


    goods are made available to the people of West Africa at reduced.

    4. Free Trade: The community will make it possible for traders from one
    member states to go to other member states and trade.

    5. Availability Of Cheap Labour: This will be made possible by Article 27 of


    the ECOWAS Charter which permits community citizens to take up jobs in any
    of the member states provided they have the visa.

    6. Reduction Of Tariffs: This will help to promote trade among member states
    .
    7. Easy Movement Of Raw Materials: Members who have more will shit
    some of those that do no have. This will promote industrial growth.

    8. Sub-regional Self-reliance: ECOWAS will lead to West africa self-reliance


    in the production marketing and distribution of goods and services thereby
    cutting the apron string tying them to the imperialist.

    9. Execution Of Joint Projects: This will contribute immensely to the


    development of these countries.

    10. Gains From Compensation Fund: This is contributed and owned by all
    the member states for co-operation, compensation and development.

    11. Harmonization OF Industrial Policies: This enable industrialists from one


    member nation to another and establish industries with little or no hindrance

    12. Unity: All activities of ECOWAS will help foster friendly atmosphere which
    will lead to the unity of the West African sub-region.

    13. Member states should establish a united monetary system by adopting a


    common currency.

    14. To break language barrier, French and English should be taught in all
    schools and at all levels of people in member states.
    ECOWAS

    15. Leaders in all member states should be committed by paying their dues to
    the organisation regularly.

    16. The roads and railway should be redesigned to link up all member
    countries so as to boost greater economic interaction.

    The Member countries and their capital of ECOWAS include:


    1. Benin - porto Novo
    2. Ivory Coast - Yamoussoukro
    3. Togo - Lome
    4. Mali - Bamako
    5. Sierra Leone - Freetown
    6. Liberia - Monrovia
    7. Guinea - Conakry
    8. Nigeria - Abuja
    9. Ghana - Accra
    10. Niger - Niamey
    11. Guinea Bissau - Bissau
    12. Cape Verde - Praia/Cape Verde
    13. Burkina Faso - Ouagadougou
    14. Mauritania - Nouakchott
    15. The Gambia - Banjul
    16. Senegal - Dakar

    REFERENCE
    Concise Geography
    Google
    ECOWAS

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