The French language is important for trade relations. In the case of ECOWAS, no study has been undertaken to establish this to facilitate trade. ECOWAS is one of the economic blocs in West Africa which was founded on May 28, 1975, in order to promote cooperation and integration among West African countries. With the withdrawal of Mauritania in 2001, there are now fifteen member states in this community. Indeed, the surface area occupied by the member states (1.5 million sq km) represents 17% of the total surface area of the continent. It is the most populated regional economic community in Africa; it is worth $261.13 million and featured an annual growth of 2.67% in 2006.
In the ECOWAS bloc, there are seven former French colonies and one former Portuguese colony which have the same currency (CFA) and formed an economic sub-group named UEMOA. The ability to communicate in French has a strong effect in facilitating trade across West Africa. This can result in the capacity to advertise one's products, obtain feedback from customers in the same language, and do monitoring and evaluation. This study seeks to explore the issues and the implication of French language in trade facilitation within ECOWAS countries.
[...] objectives can be listed as follows: To identify the type of economic integration in West Africa To determine the effect of French language on trade within ECOWAS member states The research questions brought about by the objectives are as follows: What is the type of economic integration in West Africa? What can be done to improve trade in West Africa? LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1 West African economic integration The pattern of integration in West Africa has been marked in a most remarkable manner by its colonial past. [...]
[...] This will be helpful for ECOWAS countries CONCLUSION The French language is a barrier for reel integration and for Trade facilitation within ECOWAS member states. In this study, we come out with the possibility that potential trading partners with no common native language would communicate using French language. This language has a strong and significant effect in trade flow in West Africa. Acquire French proficiency can assist ECOWAS member states in overcoming historically determined language barriers Appendix Countries and native or official languages in ECOWAS Country Language Benin Burkina Faso Cape Verde Cote [...]
[...] We are convinced that the future is with ECOWAS, if it reaches its cruising speed and overcomes its present difficulties The potential benefit of French language within ECOWAS countries In ECOWAS, traders are facing some problems because of the language barrier. Among the problems there is communication, access to market, explore news markets, contracts interpretation, and follow up contracts. There is a huge market which is not exploited in the areas of cocoa, kernels, palm oil, cashew nuts, cotton in French speaking countries because of language barrier. According to Rauch (1999), language differences are significant predictors of foreign trade. Learning French language can help exporters from the English speaking countries to communicate with their clients easily in French speaking countries. [...]
[...] This concern about the dominance of Nigeria in any sub-regional mechanism for co-operation surfaced in the consideration in the mid 1960s of the first proposal by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) for the creation of an Economic Community of West African States. Senegal proposed that the membership of the Community should be enlarged to include Zaire, whose size would counterbalance that of Nigeria. It is needless to say that Senegal was not alone in its concern of 4 the potential role of Nigeria in the sub-region. [...]
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