Political Analysis
The 50th anniversary of ECOWAS: origins, evolution, current challenges and outlook

Tower of the African Development Bank, Sidam Insurance Tower, and Av. Nogues office building, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is one of the most significant sub-regional organisations in Africa. Founded with the noble aim of fostering economic integration, it now faces profound challenges threatening its very existence, among them recurrent military coups, terrorism, and constitutional manipulations by certain leaders seeking to extend their mandates. Its 50th anniversary offers an opportune moment to reflect on its trajectory and assess the prospects ahead.

Origins

Prior to the creation of ECOWAS, West Africa was a collection of states that had emerged from colonisation and had their own administrative systems. In 1945, an attempt to create a single monetary union, with the creation of the CFA franc, which brought together the French-speaking countries of the region, failed. William Tubman's proposal in 1964 for an economic union of West Africa led to an agreement signed in 1965. Although these initiatives were beneficial, they did not produce the desired results until the promotional tour for integration in West Africa undertaken in 1972 by General Yakubu GOWON, President of Nigeria, and Gnassingbé EYADEMA, President of Togo. Following this, several exchanges and projects led to the drafting of the Lagos Treaty, which gave rise to the regional integration organisation: ECOWAS. 

It currently comprises 12 countries and its mission is to promote economic integration in all areas of activity. ECOWAS uniquely unites West Africa’s English‑, French‑ and Portuguese‑speaking countries, overcoming colonial-era divisions.

Vector map and flag of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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Evolution

Since its establishment, ECOWAS has comprised 15 member states. Cape Verde joined the organisation in 1976, while Mauritania withdrew in 2000. In May 2017, Mauritania requested readmission, though this has yet to be confirmed. In December 2010, Côte d’Ivoire was suspended following a post‑election crisis but reinstated in April 2011. Morocco, an observer since 2005, formally applied for membership in February 2017; the application remains pending. Most recently, on 29 January 2025, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, now forming the Confederation of Sahel States (CES) officially withdrew from ECOWAS after earlier suspensions triggered by unconstitutional changes of government.  Indeed, some believe that the ECOWAS is a puppet of France, which uses it to achieve its objectives in countries that are not on good terms with the latter. The three countries forming the CES allege that France supports terrorist groups operating in the sub‑region. This perception also seems to be gaining ground in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and it could be that the three CES states will also leave this organization. This would not be a good sign for the West-African Unity. 

The initial objective of ECOWAS was purely economic, but it quickly became interested in security issues, which remain essential for the achievement of economic integration. To address emerging security concerns, which soon became one of its core missions, ECOWAS established the multilateral armed force known as the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in 1990. It remained active until the early 2000s. This group intervened as an intervention force in crises in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. In 1999, ECOWAS decided to create the “ECOWAS Standby Security Force”, assigning it the main tasks of observing and supervising ceasefires and maintaining peace. This Force exists until today and is the military part of ECOWAS.

In 1993, the 1975 treaty was revised to align ECOWAS’s mandate with evolving political realities and challenges in the region. This persistent instability highlighted the need for stronger community institutions aimed at achieving an economic union and fostering accelerated, sustainable development across member states. On 14 June 2006, the Commission replaced the Secretariat with nine commissioners, before increasing this number to 15 in July 2015 to ensure representation of all members, making it more participatory and inclusive. Although these developments are significant, they do not hide the current challenges facing the organisation.

Current challenges

In order to strengthen the integration, ECOWAS has financed the construction of roads in the region; a gas pipeline project is underway and aims to link Nigeria to Morocco, passing through several member states. However, ECOWAS faces several contemporary challenges in achieving its ultimate goal.

Firstly, the economies of the member countries are not complementary, which has consequences for the free movement of goods. Secondly, several linguistic areas are part of ECOWAS. This does not facilitate the free movement of people, goods, capital and services. Some cite the example of Togo and Ghana, where crossing the border with goods is not at all easy. Furthermore, there are several official checkpoints that do not facilitate free movement due to the slowness of administrative formalities. It is regrettable that users report additional costs and tips at these various checkpoints outside of any regulations. This situation contributes, albeit slightly, to the development of smuggling, which is detrimental to both the community economy and the member states. ECOWAS has made notable progress in facilitating the free movement of persons. According to its protocols, citizens of member states may travel visa‑free throughout the community and are entitled to residence or establishment rights for professional purposes, with the exception of public service roles. In practice, however, border crossings often remain problematic. Even during Burkina Faso’s membership, for instance, travellers frequently reported difficulties, such as informal payments and extortion, when crossing certain borders, including between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Added to this is the fact that the majority of members are not always up to date with their contributions to the organisation's budget, which indicates a lack of political will. There is also a lack of ownership for regional integration by some member states. All this makes the organisation dependent on external funding, which in turn fuels prejudices about interference by foreign states. Finally, without being exhaustive, the stability of the West African region is a major challenge. The regional integration process is impacted by political instability in the sub-region and insecurity linked to terrorism. 

Outlook

The ECOWAS has made real progress, even if it varies from one area to another. One example is the interconnection of ECOWAS customs IT systems. It has also had considerable success in terms of the free movement of persons with the introduction of the ECOWAS passport. Its jurisdiction is doing remarkable work in the protection of human rights. It has handed down several decisions, and litigants do not hesitate to refer cases to it at the slightest opportunity, even if it is regrettable that some of these decisions are difficult to enforce in certain states due to political reasons. It is currently marked by the strong desire of some leaders to transform the framework of the organisation that has been put in place for external interests. This requires an immeasurable effort in a region that is influenced by foreign powers and who designed and shaped ECOWAS to serve their own interests.

To fulfil its mission of economic integration, ECOWAS must prioritise combating terrorism, which continues to destabilise the region. One proposal is the creation of a dedicated “ECOWAS Standby Force against Terrorism” to complement the existing standby force. Such an initiative should, however, incorporate lessons from the widespread criticism of ECOWAS’s recent plan to intervene militarily in Niger, ensuring that future security actions are both legitimate and broadly supported. At the same time, while the geopolitical and economic interests of external powers such as France, China, Russia and the United Kingdom often complicate regional integration, ECOWAS and its member states must remain focused on their ultimate goal of monetary and economic union, pursuing balanced, mutually beneficial partnerships founded on respect for sovereignty. It maintains many external relations with various actors, including international organisations, states and non governmental organisations. This is evidenced by its role in processes with the EU and its various interventions in political and military crisis situations.  ECOWAS member states should define their own foreign policy so that it can carve out a place for itself on the international stage. In this regard, it would benefit from drawing on the EU's experience. We believe that states should only consider their own interests, in accordance with international law, cooperating with all those with whom they have interests in a mutually beneficial, balanced partnership based on mutual respect for sovereignty, rather than aligning themselves with pro-Russian or pro-Western positions that conceal the agendas of foreign powers. 

Conclusion

Today, ECOWAS appears to be one of the most ambitious integration organisations in Africa, with a history marked by economic success, security efforts and an ability to adapt to political crises. It has gradually developed mechanisms to respond to the region's security and political challenges. More than ever, its survival and credibility depend on renewed political will, placing integration at the service not only of states but above all of the people of West Africa, so that it can once again become a true engine of peace, development and the expression of sovereignty.

Deputy Public Prosecutor at the High Court of Manga and a PhD candidate in Public Law.

About the Author

Kassoum Malgoubri is a Burkinabe magistrate serving as Deputy Public Prosecutor at the High Court of Manga and a PhD candidate in Public Law. His work focuses on human rights, violent extremism, and regional security in West Africa. He has participated in several international training programmes and research projects, including the drafting of a Trainer’s Handbook on the prevention of radicalisation in the G5 Sahel region, and is an active member of the Hanns Seidel Foundation’s network of scholars.