'I was convinced that the political freedom would inevitably precede our economic advancement. In the same manner, I am convinced that the African Unit will be done and this common base will enable us to build our complete development". This statement was written in 1957 by Kwame Krumah, the hero of the Ghanaian independence movement and the prophet of Pan-Africanism. He expressed the idea of unanimity within the African governments.
The figures can illustrate the importance of the stake. Today, two thirds of the 25 poorest countries of the world belong to Africa. In addition, Africa accounted for 3% of the world's trade in 1950. The same figure is nothing more than 0.8% in today's times. In West Africa, the will to implement the political and economic integration of the area resulted in the creation of the Economic community of the States of West Africa (CEDEAO).
Established in 1975 by the Treaty of Lagos, it includes 15 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Mauritania withdrew in 1999. This community constitutes a market of 238 million people and is expected to count 350 million by 2010. It will be the most urbanized region of sub-Saharan Africa. Today, its total GDP is about $ 91 billion.
The main originality of ECOWAS is the fact that one can identify within it a subset competitor: the Economic and Monetary Union of West African States (UEMOA).
Born January 10, 1994, that is to say on the eve of the devaluation of the CFA, it is composed of eight countries in West Africa whose currency the CFA franc i.e. Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. These countries, all except Guinea-Bissau, former French colonies, are characterized by a certain administrative, linguistic homogeneity and cultural influence related to their former metropolis.
Now, if the presence of France in the WAEMU institutions was seen as a factor of institutional credibility, the negative consequences of this participation, in the countries of West Africa are not members of UEMOA. It is seen as a divisive tool for countering the influence of Nigeria in the region. Nigeria is the giant of West Africa. With a population of 131million (or 54% of the population of ECOWAS) and a GDP of $ 43 billion (47% of the area GDP), it is the main region in all respects. Even if in fact it did not play a leading role for reasons of internal policy.
However, since the return of democracy in 1999, Nigeria is seeking to break its international isolation and regain the place of regional power conferred on its natural demographic and economic weight. We can already see that the problem is the filigree of leadership conflict and competition between Nigeria in ECOWAS and the UEMOA countries.
Tags: Economic advancement, Kwame Krumah, Ghanaian independence movement, Economic community of the States of West Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, linguistic homogeneity, international isolation, natural demographic and economic weight
[...] The telecommunications sector is also changing. Most countries of the West African experience in recent years an explosion of mobile telephony. There is a large unmet demand as reflected in the immense needs in rural telephony and long waiting lists from suppliers. But the big operators can not hold Africa in their strategic plan even though the success of the formula Telecentres in Senegal, Benin and other countries attests to the solvency of African populations, including in rural areas less favorable a priority .However, the region is involved in various regional projects in the telecommunications sector, which is more operational Panaftel. [...]
[...] Thus, if the ECOWAS wants to become a viable and coherent whole, it will adjust the duality that exists within it between WAEMU member countries and non-member countries (first and foremost Nigeria).The new agreements ACP / EU Cotonou provides for the conclusion of Economic Partnership Agreements and the New Partnership for Africa's Development, NEPAD, with subsets should promote dynamic reconciliation. In addition to the analysis of regional integration in West Africa must also take into account the potential factors of political disintegration. [...]
[...] We answer this question by examining successively the different forms in which economic integration in West Africa through its commercial aspects, and monetary sector. I. The shortcomings of trade integration The Revised Treaty of ECOWAS is specific and precise in terms of the creation of economic and monetary union in its pattern of trade liberalization. This liberalization scheme based on three principles: the removal of trade barriers, the common external tariff and the system of financial compensation. Regarding the removal of trade barriers within ECOWAS, local products and traditional handicrafts circulate freely in free of duties and taxes and without quantitative restrictions is to say without quotas between Member States. [...]
[...] The experience of community development in Southern Africa is often cited as an example of successful regional cooperation focused on infrastructure projects. In the case of West Africa where institutional cooperation is the problem of political rapprochement between UEMOA and ECOWAS sectoral cooperation would promote the establishment of a productive integration generating complementarities and externalities economies of scale beyond integration areas of law. This is why ECOWAS attaches particular importance to the implementation of cooperation in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy. [...]
[...] However, despite the relative failure of regional integration in ECOWAS, can be seen there with Giri in West Africa "zone of free trade is" otherwise law. The combination of the absence of common tariff, and the porosity of borders and because trade laws contours and distributes in the African space imported products manufactured elementary closer to West Africa an area of de facto free trade. In this context, informal trade is a form of popular resistance to excessive taxation and government intervention. [...]
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