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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are prominent regional organisations in the global South. However, their divergence becomes evident when considering variations in governance and institutional structures. This article attributes these differences to distinct approaches to national sovereignty by their members. Factors including historical colonial legacies, member states' experiences, and shared norms shape the construction of sovereignty in ASEAN and ECOWAS. ASEAN prioritises individual sovereignty and self-determination. In contrast, ECOWAS adopts a more flexible approach, emphasising collective action to address common challenges, even if it involves compromising some aspects of sovereignty. These trajectories continue with ASEAN Charter and ECOWAS Revised Treaty that transformed the organisation into a parliamentary structure with Court of Justice. By examining these dynamics, this paper sheds light on the nuanced relationship between sovereignty and regional integration, providing insights into governance and decision-making processes in ASEAN and ECOWAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article relies on the intellectual framework of "national role conceptions" to explain Nigeria's wide‐ranging international obligations. Although Nigeria has a rich foreign policy literature, this framework is rarely directly employed in analyzing the country's many external engagements and the motives behind them. Nigeria has always assumed international roles that are in tandem with its fundamental foreign policy objectives. These roles are inspired by the identities that the country has constructed and projected for itself overtime and the expectations of peers (or other actors). Nigeria's constructive external engagements and role performance notwithstanding, there have been some misalignments. These include the sorry state of Nigeria's foreign missions, domestic contradictions, and the fact that Nigeria has sometimes behaved sluggishly in its role performance. This work recommends that Nigeria's diplomatic missions must be adequately financed, the domestic contradictions leading to disputation over foreign policy roles must be addressed, and Nigeria must overcome its occasional complacencies in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, Nigeria's regional hegemonic leadership in (West) Africa, especially within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, has been debated within academic and foreign relations circles. A major component of this regional leadership aspiration was its quest for a 'borderless Africa'. As an important arrowhead of its pro-African foreign policy, the Nigerian government proactively crafted a benign national border policy to give practical expression to the free mobility of persons and goods within the West African subregion. Despite a demonstrable commitment to free mobility within Africa over the years, Abuja suddenly imposed a restrictive border policy shortly after it signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and approved the contentious visa-on-arrival for African migrants. Considering this context, this study makes three arguments: First, it interrogates the rationale behind the liberal border diplomacy of the Nigerian government. Secondly, the paper contends that the inability to 'silence the guns' in Africa despite all efforts has seriously militated against the aspiration for intra-African mobility and borderless Community in West Africa. Lastly, the study examines the dire implications of Nigerian nationalistic border diplomacy and its declining soft power for the future of 'borderless West Africa'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus disease highlighted the importance of overhauling and transforming healthcare systems in West Africa to improve the ability of individual countries to deal with infectious diseases. As part of this effort, in November 2016 the West African Health Organization (WAHO) began the process of institutionalizing the One Health (OH) approach to health security across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The lack of clear metrics and evaluation frameworks to measure the progress of OH implementation in West Africa has been reported as a challenge. Therefore, this study sought to assess and explore whether the existing metrics of global health security frameworks can measure the successful implementation of OH activities, evaluate the progress made since 2016, and identify key areas for improvement in the region. Method: The study employed predetermined keywords to select indicators from the International Health Regulations (IHR) Monitoring Frameworks, specifically the State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) and Joint External Evaluation (JEE), deemed relevant to the OH approach. In addition, the COVID-19 performance index scores (severity and recovery) for June 2022 were extracted from the Global COVID-19 Index (GCI). The GCI Recovery Index evaluated the major recovery parameters reported daily to indicate how a country performed on the path to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other countries. National documents were also analyzed using categorical variables to assess the performance status of OH platforms across implementing countries. A quantitative analysis of these indicators was conducted and supplemented with qualitative data gathered through interviews with key stakeholders. Between March and April 2022, we conducted 18 key informant interviews with purposively selected representatives from regional governmental agencies and international multilateral agencies, including ECOWAS member states. Interviews were conducted online, transcribed, and analysed following the tenets of thematic analysis. Results: Our quantitative analysis revealed no significant association between the implementation status of OH activities and any of the selected indicators from SPAR and JEE. The descriptive analysis of the JEE scores at the country level revealed that countries with existing OH platforms scored relatively higher on the selected JEE indicators than other countries in the pre-implementation stage. OH implementation status did not significantly affect COVID-19 recovery and severity indices. The qualitative findings with relevant stakeholders revealed noteworthy challenges related to insufficient human capacity, inadequate coordination, and a lack of government funding for the sustainability of OH initiatives. Nonetheless, countries in the ECOWAS region are making progress toward the integration of OH into their health security systems. Conclusion: Standardized metrics were used to assess the implementation and efficacy of OH systems in the ECOWAS region. Current indicators for monitoring global health security frameworks lack specificity and fail to comprehensively capture essential OH components, particularly at the sub-national level. To ensure consistency and effectiveness across countries, OH implementation metrics that align with global frameworks such as IHR should be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In what can generally be described as mimicry of the design and functioning of the preliminary reference procedure in the European Union legal framework, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) introduced the preliminary reference procedure into the ECOWAS legal framework in a 2015 revision of the Protocol of the ECOWAS Court. However, unlike the European equivalent which has been hailed as a tremendous success, the procedure has been a monumental failure in the ECOWAS framework, as not a single reference has emanated from any national court to the ECOWAS Court in the 17 years since the introduction of the procedure. Adopting a doctrinal research approach, this article explores why national courts of ECOWAS Member States are not likely to cooperate with the ECOWAS Court to successfully operationalise the procedure. It is argued that structural challenges as well as the absence of the enabling environment create nearly insurmountable obstacles to the functioning of the procedure in the ECOWAS framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus disease highlighted the importance of overhauling and transforming healthcare systems in West Africa to improve the ability of individual countries to deal with infectious diseases. As part of this effort, in November 2016 the West African Health Organization (WAHO) began the process of institutionalizing the One Health (OH) approach to health security across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The lack of clear metrics and evaluation frameworks to measure the progress of OH implementation in West Africa has been reported as a challenge. Therefore, this study sought to assess and explore whether the existing metrics of global health security frameworks can measure the successful implementation of OH activities, evaluate the progress made since 2016, and identify key areas for improvement in the region. Method The study employed predetermined keywords to select indicators from the International Health Regulations (IHR) Monitoring Frameworks, specifically the State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) and Joint External Evaluation (JEE), deemed relevant to the OH approach. In addition, the COVID-19 performance index scores (severity and recovery) for June 2022 were extracted from the Global COVID-19 Index (GCI). The GCI Recovery Index evaluated the major recovery parameters reported daily to indicate how a country performed on the path to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other countries. National documents were also analyzed using categorical variables to assess the performance status of OH platforms across implementing countries. A quantitative analysis of these indicators was conducted and supplemented with qualitative data gathered through interviews with key stakeholders. Between March and April 2022, we conducted 18 key informant interviews with purposively selected representatives from regional governmental agencies and international multilateral agencies, including ECOWAS member states. Interviews were conducted online, transcribed, and analysed following the tenets of thematic analysis. Results Our quantitative analysis revealed no significant association between the implementation status of OH activities and any of the selected indicators from SPAR and JEE. The descriptive analysis of the JEE scores at the country level revealed that countries with existing OH platforms scored relatively higher on the selected JEE indicators than other countries in the pre-implementation stage. OH implementation status did not significantly affect COVID-19 recovery and severity indices. The qualitative findings with relevant stakeholders revealed noteworthy challenges related to insufficient human capacity, inadequate coordination, and a lack of government funding for the sustainability of OH initiatives. Nonetheless, countries in the ECOWAS region are making progress toward the integration of OH into their health security systems. Conclusion Standardized metrics were used to assess the implementation and efficacy of OH systems in the ECOWAS region. Current indicators for monitoring global health security frameworks lack specificity and fail to comprehensively capture essential OH components, particularly at the sub-national level. To ensure consistency and effectiveness across countries, OH implementation metrics that align with global frameworks such as IHR should be developed.

West Africa has been grappling with various security challenges prompting governments’ intervention via military expenditure both at the country and regional level. Given the sporadic surge in military expenditure in the region and the potential effect such expenditure may exert on investment which is a sin qua non to the development process of any economy or region, this study utilizes the augmented mean group (AMG) approach and the Granger non-causality test in investigating the impact and causal relationship between investment and military expenditure in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) between 1980 and 2020. With country-specific cross-dependence and heterogeneity adequately accounted for, the study found that military expenditure has a dampening impact on investment at both the panel and country levels; unemployment adversely impacts investment; whereas economic growth stimulates investment (catalytic effect) in the ECOWAS, although at differing levels of significance. The study also established a long-run relationship among the variables; with only economic growth Granger causing investment. The study thus recommends that country-specific and regional-based military policies be established to glean economic growth through viable investment.

By exploring the nexus between financial development and population health in the ECOWAS region we contribute to the debate on population health and also examine the direction of causality between population health and its determinants. We utilised a panel dataset of 11 ECOWAS nations from 1990-2019. The study used the augmented mean group (AMG) estimator to examine the long-run associations among the chosen variables. The empirical results indicate that financial development and economic growth are positive drivers of population health. The analysis also demonstrates that lower population health is associated with increased environmental degradation (CO2 emissions) in the ECOWAS region. However, regarding the country-specific analysis, the impact of the determinants of population health varied per country. The empirical estimates of the Dumitrescu Hurlin panel causality tests reveal a bidirectional causality between population health and its determinants. The empirical outcomes offer new insights for policymakers by means of financial development, environmental degradation, and income as economic tools to promote population health by guiding finance, growth, and environmental policies.

Understanding the rationale for macroeconomic policy coordination with the aim of achieving greater policy credibility and effectiveness in West Africa still remains the subject of debate.

Purpose – The present study investigates the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) and governance quality on carbon emissions in the Economics Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Design/methodology/approach – To achieve the objective of this research, panel data for dependent and explanatory variables over the period 2005–2016, collected in the World Development Indicators (WDI) database and World Governance Indicators (WGI), are analyzed using the generalized method of moments (GMM). Also, the panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE) method is applied to the four segments of the overall sample to analyze the stability of the results. Findings – The findings of this study are (1) FDI inflows have a negative effect on carbon emissions in ECOWAS and (2) The interaction between FDI inflows and governance quality have a negative effect on carbon emissions. These results show the decreasing of environmental damage by increasing institutional quality. However, the estimation results on the country subsamples show similar and non-similar aspects. Practical implications – This study suggests that policymakers in the ECOWAS countries should strengthen their environmental policies while encouraging FDI flows to be environmentally friendly. Originality/value – The subject has rarely been explored in West Africa, with gaps such as the lack of use of institutional variables. This study contributes to the literature by drawing on previous work to examine the role of good governance on FDI and the CO2 emission relationship in the ECOWAS, which have received little attention. However, this research differs from previous work by subdividing the overall sample into four groups to test the stability of the results.

This article examines Nigeria's interventions in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Relying on data from key ranking bodies, memoirs of retired career ambassadors, general library materials and thematic data analysis, the study observes that Nigeria's interventions in ECOWAS have not only been remarkable, they have also allowed the country to consolidate its position as the undisputed leader in West Africa. While the platform of ECOWAS has allowed Nigeria to pursue some noble objectives, there are some inconveniences associated with this policy orientation. These contradictions, which have sometimes constrained Nigeria's diplomacy in West Africa and contracted the returns, include the anti-Nigerian sentiments from some Francophone members of ECOWAS, occasional unfriendly attitude of some small West African countries, and Nigeria's worsening security challenges that are now spilling into neighbouring countries. Appropriate policy measures are also provided to counteract these contradictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This research paper explores the causal links between trade openness, poverty, and sustainable development, shedding light on the potential impact of trade policies on poverty reduction and sustainable development in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. Method — We utilize the Dumitrescu-Hurlin (DH) panel causality test, a robust econometric approach capable of discerning the direction and magnitude of causal relationships among variables. We employ a comprehensive dataset spanning from 1986 to 2020, covering ECOWAS countries, to conduct a rigorous empirical analysis. Result — The empirical findings from the DH causality analysis reveal a unidirectional relationship between trade openness, human capital investment, and both sustainable development and poverty. Additionally, bidirectional causality relationships are observed between human capital investment and poverty. The results also highlight the absence of a consistent and uniform pattern of Granger causality between poverty and sustainability across individual West African economies. This heterogeneity underscores the need for customized policy approaches based on empirical evidence derived from country-specific causality analyses, rather than adopting one-size-fits-all solutions. Novelty — This research stands out by exploring the causal connections among trade openness, poverty, and sustainable development within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. The adoption of the Dumitrescu-Hurlin (DH) panel causality test enhances the empirical analysis, offering a comprehensive understanding of both the direction and magnitude of these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant challenge to public health globally, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. AMR surveillance involves the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data on the occurrence and distribution of AMR in humans, animals, and the environment for action. The West African Health Organization, part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is committed to addressing AMR in the region. This paper examines the status of AMR surveillance in ECOWAS countries using available WHO data from the TrACSS survey and GLASS enrollments. The analysis reveals that while progress has been made, significant challenges remain. Twelve of the fifteen ECOWAS countries are enrolled in GLASS, and ten have developed national action plans (NAPs) for AMR. However, there is a need to ensure all countries fully implement their NAPs, continue reporting to GLASS, and use the data for evidence-based actions and decision making. Surveillance systems for AMR and antimicrobial consumption/use vary across countries with some demonstrating limited capacity. All countries, except Cabo Verde, reported having a reference laboratory for AMR testing. Strengthening laboratory capabilities, data management and use, and multisectoral coordination are crucial for effective AMR surveillance and response. Based on the findings and the regional context, it is essential to prioritize capacity building, data utilization, and the adoption of standardized guidelines for AMR surveillance. Collaboration among ECOWAS countries, the WAHO, and international partners is essential to address AMR comprehensively. Ensuring a consistent supply of essential antimicrobial medications and reagents is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitions between "military" and "democratic" rule significantly impact the political stability of African states and challenge the legitimacy of "global governance" mechanisms promoted by regional and international organizations. Development and growth theories have long explored the durable implications of military coups d'état for social, political, and economic outcomes in Africa. An emerging body of critical scholarship has examined the resurgent coups d'état in Africa and their implications for the continent's geopolitics. Concerned with the historical shortcomings of the imposition of global governance mechanisms onto African states, this article raises several questions about the tenets of global governance; the extent to which systems conceptually and empirically limited to particular temporal, spatial, and historical junctures "become global"; and how the strains and stresses that the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States continue to grapple with constitute a drive toward a new governance system that is reconfiguring geopolitical alliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil society organisation (CSO) participation in conflict early warning and response systems (CEWRS) of African intergovernmental organisations is expected to be beneficial to collect data, conduct analyses, and respond timeously to the potential escalation of violent conflict in a way that is relevant to local stakeholders. These high expectations contrast with CEWRS' protracted operationalisation procedures, low capacity of many CSOs, and the challenges of integrating civil society into (inter)governmental structures, which militate against effective participation. This article considers the net effect of CSO participation, examining how CSOs contributed to data collection, analyses, early warning and responses of CEWRS in the AU, ECOWAS and IGAD, and assesses their participation models. The article finds that CSO participation is a long way from delivering on expectations. It argues that CSOs can only fully deliver by building independent CEWRS that complete early warning-response processes in parallel to the intergovernmental systems, as in West Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2013 French military operation in Mali presented daunting challenges in West Africa. Critical among these are the resurgence of coup d'états and the growing intervention of Russia, which is eclipsing France's credibility in the Sahelian region. In light of the unfolding scenario, this study makes three arguments: First, the failure of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) to combat the jihadi insurgency in the country reignited France's military intervention in Mali in disregard for the Africanised security initiative, which Paris had previously vowed to preserve. Secondly, the study contends that the failure of the French military operations in Mali created a conducive environment for a military coup, a trend that has continued to gain traction in the Sahel. Finally, the paper argues that the growing Russian-linked Wagner forces in Mali, ostensibly to stabilise Mali, fight insurgents in the Sahel, and end 'French neo-colonialism' in West Africa, pose a graver risk to the region. Drawing on qualitative methods sourced through contextual-descriptive reviews, the findings showed that the resurgence of military coups was partly caused by the failure of the African Union/ECOWAS and France to uphold their defence policies in Mali. It concludes that the resurgence of military coups, the failure of AU/ECOWAS and France, as well as the growing influence of Russia, have had devastating effects on democracy, security, and good governance in Mali. It recommends that lines of communication be opened to the Malian junta for the transition to democratic governance and that the AU, ECOWAS, and Western allies deepen their diplomatic ties with allies who are fighting for democracy and human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2023, Niger experienced the latest in a long series of military coups. Now afflicted by climate change, the country continues to rank as one of the poorest in the world. Poverty and perceptions of corruption limit public confidence in democratic governance. Led by Nigeria, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on the new junta and threatened a military intervention, adding to the suffering of the population. But ECOWAS eventually backed down, while the junta moved to cut off antiterrorism cooperation with France and the United States, embracing Russia instead, following a trend set by other recent coups across the Sahel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender forms an integral element of every aspect of the economic, social, and private lives of individuals and societies. Growth and development can only be achieved if all resources and talents are harnessed; however, all over the globe, there are laws and regulations which can restrict or encourage women's economic opportunities. This study analyzed the before and after trends in women's economic empowerment among the members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) union. The study utilized the Women, Business, and the Law Index Score from 1970 to 2021 for the 15 member countries of ECOWAS which was sourced from the World Bank's Gender data. The Index was used as a proxy for the economic empowerment of women. Secondary data were downloaded and the mean, maximum, and minimum scores were generated for the selected variables and presented using line and bar charts. The Index was supplemented with qualitative assessments of the de facto status of women. The results showed that most of the ECOWAS member states adopted numerous commitments to gender rights post-ECOWAS. Specifically, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde made serious advancement post-ECOWAS, moving from an average score of 48 and 37 to 65 and 66 respectively while Nigeria and Gambia had the least advancement between the pre-and post-ECOWAS eras in the area of women's empowerment. Overall, ECOWAS countries did not thrive well in parenthood (mean score = 42.9) as only 6 countries adopted commitments for empowering women after having children. The study recommended that policies such as job-protected pay and leave of adequate length should be put in place to increase women's economic empowerment. In addition, member states should enact and enforce comprehensive equal pay legislation to ensure that men and women receive equal pay for equal work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effects of monetary integration on the synchronization of the business cycle within ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and contributes to the economic literature dealing with these aspects. First, the indicators of de facto and de jure central bank independence are considered to examine the role of central bank independence in the relationship between monetary integration and business cycle synchronization. Second, the ARDL error correction estimator is used to analyze both short- and long-run relationships and to address potential problems related to endogenous variables. Using panel data covering 105 country pairs from 1990 to 2020, the estimation results show a positive and statistically significant effect of monetary integration on the long-run synchronization of the business cycle. Regarding short-term synchronization, the conclusions are mixed. Overall, this study argues for the implementation of economic policy measures aimed, among other things, at complying with convergence criteria, strengthening trade agreements, and ensuring the independence of the central bank of the future monetary union.

Abstract In this study, we investigate the contribution of trade openness to the structural change process in ECOWAS countries. Our findings suggest that the production structural change process is significantly and positively affected by the extent of trade openness. Higher openness levels are associated with more production reshuffling between sectors. However, this impact is found to be nonlinear. After a threshold of 147.64% of trade openness, the effect reverses. Considering the labor structural change, results suggest that more openness tends to trigger the reshuffle of labor toward less productive sectors. This effect reverses after the openness reached a level of 152.42%. Moreover, exports contract, whereas imports trigger the reshuffling of domestic production factors. So, focusing on industrial-friendly import policies should be a priority for ECOWAS Countries. For labor, exports as well as imports trigger the reshuffling of labor towards less productive sectors. These findings emphasize the importance of external effects in the structural change process in ECOWAS countries. Our analysis suggests that given the basic structure of export products, as long as their increases would fail to develop manufacturing sectors, their ability to shift labor towards more productive sectors would be limited. Also, as imports promote the retail sector, which is less productive, this limits their effect to trigger a desirable labor structural change.

This study explores the interdependence of exchange rates between the West African Monetary Zone and the West African Economic and Monetary Union countries using monthly data from 2000 to 2021. Employing wavelet multiple correlation and wavelet multiple cross-correlation by Fernando-Macho, we generally uncovered low degrees of integration between the two blocs at higher frequencies, but the level of integration gradually becomes stronger as it navigates from higher a frequency (lower scale) to a lower frequency (higher scale). This implies that ex-ante convergence of exchange rates is difficult; however, in the long time horizon, exchange rate convergence is possible. Evidence from cross-correlation analysis shows that lead (lag) effects is time-varying and heterogeneous, showing no particular country’s exchange rates as leaders or followers. Different currencies have the potential to lead or lag on varying scales. These results suggest that member states establish a regional surveillance mechanism that can monitor macroeconomic indicators in the region. The effective implementation of this mechanism can aid in identifying macroeconomic imbalances and potential risks to macroeconomic stability and convergence.

This study aims to establish whether the effect of stock market development on the growth of economies in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is conditioned by institutional quality threshold. To this end, we used the Hansen threshold estimation approach to assess any discontinuities in this relationship. Data are sourced from the World Development Indicators of the World Bank and cover the period from 2000–2020. We significantly contribute to the literature by examining the nonlinearities in the stock market development-growth nexus when institutional quality is the mediating variable. We established that, as long as institutional quality is below the threshold level, it serves as an impediment for financial markets to drive growth in the West African sub-region. A key implication is that the relationship between stock market development and economic growth in the West African sub-region is contemporaneous, and that the development of the stock market is relevant in the developmental agenda in the sub-region. Therefore, we recommend that at the policy level, countries in West Africa should design strategies that can improve their institutional structures in the areas of allocation of credit, increasing competition, and the implementation of proper regulations that will make it possible for financial markets to stimulate economic growth, as these seem to be important condition to drive growth in the long run.

AbstractThis article evaluates the asymmetric impact of exchange rate volatility on the exports of nine ECOWAS countries to the Eurozone. By comparing Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) models, the study concludes that the effect of volatility on ECOWAS-Eurozone exports (EEE) is asymmetric. The study also investigates the impact of foreign income and prices on the EEE and categorises the goods and services that make up the EEE for each country based on their coefficients. The results show that exchange rate volatility has an asymmetric effect on the EEE, which comprise both substitute and inferior goods. The study recommends that ECOWAS authorities avoid using proportional policies to address increased and decreased volatility, as their impact on trade is asymmetric. The long-run coefficients of income for Nigeria, Togo, and Benin are -1.29, -4.67, and -2.64 respectively, indicating that their exports are dominated by inferior goods. The long-run coefficients of foreign price for Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso are 5.32, 7.87, and 1.91 respectively, suggesting that their exports are mainly substitute goods. The authors confirm long-run asymmetry for three out of nine countries and short-run asymmetry for five countries. Only three countries have an asymmetric trade-volatility relationship in both the short and long run. The study suggests that Nigeria, Togo, and Benin diversify their economies, as their exports to the Eurozone are dominated by inferior goods and services. Additionally, the study recommends that the governments of Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso provide support, as their goods and services are substitutes.

This study investigates the possibility of forming a monetary union across West Africa. This was achieved by employing the structural VAR framework. Data on real GDP, inflation, and exchange rate were used to represent supply, monetary, and demand shocks from the period 1986 to 2020. The impulse response and variance decomposition results showed that shocks affecting the West African region are idiosyncratic, while the residuals of the structural VAR were used to compute the correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient revealed that the demand and monetary shocks were symmetric across WAEMU countries and asymmetric for the rest of the region. The study suggests that theWest African region is not ripe for a monetary union. However, the study opined that the WAEMU countries are the closest to forming a West African monetary union and a piecemeal approach may be adopted such that the WAEMU countries are the first to form the union, while the rest may join when they meet the convergence criteria. In essence, West African countries' central banks need to focus on harmonizing their monetary policies and remove all barriers to factor mobility for the synchronization of shocks and for all countries to meet the convergence criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses to what extent sanctions adopted by regional organisations can help bring about better democratic processes in the region, focusing on the case of the Republic of Guinea. Overthrows are not the only threat to democratisation in Africa. There is a wave of "constitutional coups" or "third-termism" that incumbents have used to extend their term in office with the appearance of legality. However, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have often remained silent. The article argues that the AU and ECOWAS policy of sanctioning coups until the return to the constitutional order is not sufficient, as coups are still happening in the region today. Instead, international regional organisations should pay more attention to the necessary institutional reforms that are needed to guarantee the democratisation process of African States and must have a stronger response to constitutional coups by adopting targeted sanctions against the individuals responsible for these acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the drive to achieve monetary union in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the vulnerability of member countries to global and regional shocks is examined, using the global VAR (GVAR) framework so constructed for the purpose. The global shocks are those due to global commodity prices, oil and food prices, while the regional shocks capture the influence of their major trading partners; the United States (US) and China. We estimate a 59-unit GVAR model comprising advanced and emerging economies. Two findings are discernible from the results. First, the constituent countries are vulnerable to both global and regional shocks. Second, after grouping the countries into two recognized divisions [i.e., the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ)], we find significant variations in their response to shocks. These findings have implications on the common monetary zone agenda for the region, particularly as regards to the heterogeneous response and vulnerability of the constituent countries to shocks. Resolving such vulnerabilities is a major requirement for the success of a monetary union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the contribution of trade openness to the structural change process in ECOWAS countries. Our findings suggest that the production structural change process is significantly and positively affected by the extent of trade openness. Higher openness levels are associated with more production reshuffling between sectors. However, this impact is found to be nonlinear. After a threshold of 147.64% of trade openness, the effect reverses. Considering the labor structural change, results suggest that more openness tends to trigger the reshuffle of labor toward less productive sectors. This effect reverses after the openness reached a level of 152.42%. Moreover, exports contract, whereas imports trigger the reshuffling of domestic production factors. So, focusing on industrial-friendly import policies should be a priority for ECOWAS Countries. For labor, exports as well as imports trigger the reshuffling of labor towards less productive sectors. These findings emphasize the importance of external effects in the structural change process in ECOWAS countries. Our analysis suggests that given the basic structure of export products, as long as their increases would fail to develop manufacturing sectors, their ability to shift labor towards more productive sectors would be limited. Also, as imports promote the retail sector, which is less productive, this limits their effect to trigger a desirable labor structural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change can be litigated through tort, common law, statute/policy, public trust doctrine or human rights among others. While climate change litigation appears to have developed in states of the Global North, its use is still relatively recent in states of the Global South. Nor has it been seriously considered from the perspective of international tribunals from the Global South. Therefore, this study examines a human rights approach to climate change litigation in the Economic Community of West African States Court of Justice (ECOWAS Court). This study finds that there are some developments in certain jurisdictions which make a human rights approach promising in terms of locus standi, justiciability, causation and separation of powers and that they can be related to the jurisprudence of the ECOWAS Court. It also finds that the doctrine of exhaustion of local remedies does not apply to the ECOWAS Court. Based on these findings, it is argued that a human rights approach can be successfully deployed to litigate climate change before the ECOWAS Court and that it can wake up West African States from their lethargy in terms of policy on, and treatment of, climate issues. The study concludes that individuals and NGOs may adopt a human rights approach before the ECOWAS Court to influence policy change and/or state behaviour in West African States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study interrogated the role of brand visibility on the survival of private universities in ECOWAS. Stratified Sampling Technique was used to select two branded and visible private universities in Nigeria and two less branded and less visible universities in Benin. The validity of primary data collected through interviews was tested using secondary data collected through content analysis. The gathered data lent significant insight into the benefits of brand visibility programs in university survival. The Nigerian universities that engage in regular brand visibility programs enjoy public recognition, acceptance and increased enrolment; while the Benin comparison universities with low brand visibility activities suffer hostile government policies, low public acceptance and low student enrolment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the adoption of the Abuja Declaration of Political Principles (1991) and the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001) by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional organisation has declared 'zero tolerance' for unconstitutional changes of government, particularly military coups d'état. Despite these declarations, West Africa has continued to experience coups, with a resurgence in the number of these since 2020. This article examines ECOWAS' structures and strategies designed to work against such a resurgence of coups in the region. The article demonstrates that ECOWAS has advanced both diplomatic and non-diplomatic measures to respond to the phenomenon. However, while the regional body has appeared proactive in responding to the coups, it has appeared to have little success thus far; a mix of domestic, regional and international geopolitical factors – which the regional body has failed to address – continues to undermine political stability in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure proper healthcare services and automation, including minimising medical errors and providing faster and more efficient healthcare, the medical field is experiencing innovative technological trends. They include automated patient records, hospital management system software, telemedicine, and the use of artificial intelligence devices. These innovations exist in more than just the global north, as they are slowly finding residence in African countries. Focusing on automated patient record, the article examines existing data protection legal frameworks in Africa to ascertain whether they provide effective remedy mechanisms patients can access should a breach occur. Taking cognisance of the current African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) aimed at creating a single market for goods and services; it is evident that healthcare services might have a continental approach. Thus, the article adopts a continental, regional, and national perspective. Using doctrinal method, the article compares the African Union Data Protection Convention with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation to draw lessons from the European Union Experience. The article finds that strengthened national mechanisms might provide the requisite remedy mechanisms patients can access to ensure enforcement of their rights to data protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In literature, the role of institutions in stimulating FDI inflows has been documented. This study examined the contributions of two institutional-quality variables, regulatory quality and the rule of law, in attracting FDI in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The study used an annual series covering the period from 2000 to 2020 using three different estimation techniques: the panel ARDL, the panel FMOLS, and the panel DOLS. Findings reveal that while the rule of law had a negative and significant impact on FDI inflows under the panel ARDL and FMOLS, the impact of regulatory quality was negative and significant under the panel ARDL and DOLS. The short-run ARDL results revealed that only the population growth rate positively and significantly impacted FDI inflows. However, in the long run, findings showed that while the population growth rate had a positive and significant impact on FDI inflows under the ARDL, the impact of GDP was positive and significant in all the models. The exchange rate was also found to negatively and significantly impact FDI inflows in all the models. The study consequently recommends building strong institutions through collaboration among the member countries while improving human capital and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reignited the debate that developing countries still struggle to make the most of entrepreneurship due to institutional imbalances. The aim of this study is to empirically examine impact of entrepreneurial governance and ease of doing business on economic growth in a panel of 15 ECOWAS countries. The empirical evidence is based on secondary data from 2000 to 2019 estimated using the Pooled OLS Regression OLS estimator. Using institutional theory, we examined the chain of causality from institutions to entrepreneurship and from entrepreneurship to economic growth. Four findings emerged. Firstly, the regulatory pillar, represented by the indicators of ease of doing business (incorporation procedure, time required to set up a business, and cost of the business), is negatively and significantly related to economic growth. But the indicators of cost of doing business and start‐up costs are more detrimental to business and economic growth. Secondly, the normative pillar represented by entrepreneurial governance indicators (government integrity and business freedom) is positively and significantly associated with growth. But the impact of government integrity on economic growth is greater than that of business freedom. Third, the interaction between regulatory and normative pillars is negative and significant. Finally, the cognitive pillar shows mixed results. For example, indicators of investment, trade openness, education, and financial development have positive and significant effects on economic growth, while government size, inflation, and population have negative and significant effects on economic growth. We discuss policy implications for stakeholders in ECOWAS economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although African regional interventions have tangible effects on politics and order in African states, we know little about how people living in the countries concerned experience and evaluate these interventions. The assumption in the literature is that African interventions are generally perceived as legitimate due to the interveners' cultural proximity to the contexts of intervention. Based on interview and focus group research, we present firsthand and systematically generated empirical data on local perceptions of AU and ECOWAS interventions in two African states: Burkina Faso (2014/15) and The Gambia (2016/17). Contrary to the assumption in the literature, we demonstrate that (1) AU and ECOWAS interventions are locally more contested than often assumed, but that (2) local perceptions are at the same time multiplex. In both countries, we find (3) a marked difference between elite perceptions on the one hand and those of 'everyday citizens' on the other, which reflects variegated experiences with and exposures to the regional interventions resulting from different social, political, and spatial positionalities. These findings extend existing research on local perceptions of interventions by a perspective on non-Western interveners; and they have important implications for understanding both the legitimacy and effectiveness of African regional interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background African countries have undertaken vast and increasingly ambitious initiatives in recent years to promote land registration in order to secure land tenure and ownership rights. In theory, recognition of property rights should boost agricultural productivity and food security. However, empirical evidence of the link between land security, agricultural productivity and the food security of households remains ambiguous Goal and Objectives: It is against this backdrop that this research aims to study the effect of land tenure security on agricultural productivity and food security of farm households, based on evidence from Togo, and then by extension to ECOWAS countries. More specifically, it aims to (i) identify the determinants of land tenure security of farm households, (ii) analyze the effect of land tenure security on agricultural productivity and food security of farm household by gender. Methodology: The paper relies on Oaxaca and Blinder's decomposition technique and its nonlinear extension with the Propensity Score Matching Method (PSM) for robustness with data mainly from the Harmonized Households Living Conditions Survey (EHCVM) of Togo and selected ECOWAS countries realized in 2018-2019. Results: Empirical results reveal that being a woman reduces the probability of obtaining a document securing one's plot of land. However, the human capital of the head of household increases the probability of holding a land title. They reveal gender-based inequalities in agricultural productivity and food insecurity among farming households. However, holding a title deed to secure one's plot of land is expected to reduce this inequality by improving agricultural productivity and food security among farming households. The results confirm the need to develop land markets to facilitate the transfer of land, as part of measures to improve agricultural productivity and household food security in ECOWAS countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many ECOWAS countries, the decision-making process for public service delivery has long remained shrouded in secrecy, rendering the general public largely uninformed. Integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into public service delivery seeks to break these barriers. This study, therefore, investigates the impact of e-governance on economic growth among ECOWAS countries, with the specific objectives of examining the effect of four components of e-governance as well as other postulated determinants on economic growth. By employing annual data across 16 ECOWAS countries spanning from 2003 to 2021, using system generalised method of moment (SGMM) and panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) techniques. The results from the PCSE and SGMM estimations show that e-governance positively influences economic growth among ECOWAS countries both in the long- and short-run. Furthermore, the study identifies the significant influence of various control variables on economic growth, persisting in both short and long-run analyses, except for the labour force variable in the short run. This underlines the intrinsic correlation between e-governance and economic growth. Consequently, it becomes imperative for stakeholders within the sub-region to meticulously link investments in e-governance with measurable economic growth outcomes. By doing so, these investments can substantiate expansive initiatives in public service delivery, while simultaneously bridging the historical gap of opacity that has separated citizens from effective government management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]