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Despite notable progress, ECOWAS continues to grapple with challenges, including political instability, terrorism, and economic disparities, all of which strain regional cohesion
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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) celebrates its 50th anniversary in May 2025, five decades since its formation in Lagos, Nigeria. Established on 28 May 1975 by 15 West African nations, ECOWAS aimed to foster regional economic integration and self-sufficiency. While Cape Verde joined in 1977, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania withdrew its membership in 2000 and re-engaged via an association agreement in 2017. The golden jubilee, officially inaugurated on 22 April 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana, kicks off a year-long series of events across member states under ‘Stronger Together for a Brighter Future’.
Initially centred on economic cooperation, ECOWAS has evolved significantly to address emerging political, security, and governance challenges. This transformation can be credited to the 1975 Treaty of Lagos, spearheaded by Nigeria’s General Yakubu Gowon and Togo’s President Gnassingbé Eyadéma. Key milestones include the Lagos Plan of Action (1980), which advocated for economic self-reliance, and the Abuja Treaty (1991), which aligned ECOWAS with broader continental integration efforts. The 1993 Revised Treaty expanded its mandate to peace and security, while the 2001 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance set frameworks to prevent unconstitutional power shifts.
Key milestones include the Lagos Plan of Action (1980), which advocated for economic self-reliance, and the Abuja Treaty (1991), which aligned ECOWAS with broader continental integration efforts.
ECOWAS, today, functions through a complex institutional network, including the authority of heads of state, the Council of Ministers, the ECOWAS Commission, the Community Parliament, and specialised bodies such as the ECOWAS Court of Justice and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO). Based in Abuja, Nigeria, these institutions work collaboratively to advance integration, manage conflicts, and promote regional sustainability.
The 50th anniversary celebrations have underscored ECOWAS’s dual legacy of achievement and ongoing challenge.
Despite notable gains, the regional community faces political instability, terrorism, economic disparity, and recent tensions with military-led governments. As it enters its sixth decade, ECOWAS must reaffirm its commitment to democratic governance, deepen economic ties, and restore unity. With strategic reforms and member state cooperation, ECOWAS can reinforce its relevance as a driver of regional integration and shared prosperity.
1. Economic Integration: From Protocols to Practice
One of ECOWAS’s flagship policies—the Free Movement Protocol (1979)—has transformed regional mobility. A clear success story is the Koumassi–Bamako trade corridor between Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, where streamlined border procedures have reduced transit delays by 40 percent since 2020, boosting trade in agricultural goods and textiles.
Under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), Ghanaian manufacturer Kantanka Electronics successfully expanded consumer electronics sales to Nigeria and Togo, leveraging duty-free access to regional markets. The company reported a 60 percent revenue increase over three years due to ETLS benefits.
The West African Power Pool (WAPP) is another standout. Through the OMVG Interconnection Project, countries such as The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau are now linked to regional energy grids, drastically reducing electricity blackouts and lowering dependence on diesel imports.
2. Peace and Security: Rapid Responses and Political Stabilisation
In terms of peace and security, ECOWAS has demonstrated credible leadership. A hallmark case was its intervention in The Gambia (2017). When former President Yahya Jammeh refused to accept electoral defeat, ECOWAS deployed a military mission under Operation Restore Democracy, compelling Jammeh to step down without bloodshed. The peaceful transition enabled President Adama Barrow to assume office and restored constitutional order, earning ECOWAS global praise.
Similarly, ECOWAS’s role in Liberia (1989–1997) and Sierra Leone (1990s) through ECOMOG prevented further descent into anarchy. Post-conflict elections in both countries, supported by ECOWAS’s observer missions and political engagement, contributed to long-term stabilisation.
The Yaoundé Code of Conduct, developed in collaboration with ECCAS, has proven effective in maritime security. In 2024, ECOWAS recorded zero piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, compared to 37 incidents in 2020. Nigeria’s use of the ‘Deep Blue Project’, coordinated with ECOWAS naval training, was central to this turnaround.
The peaceful transition enabled President Adama Barrow to assume office and restored constitutional order, earning ECOWAS global praise.
ECOWAS’s support during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone was critical, especially for the social sectors. The ECOWAS Emergency Response Team coordinated logistics, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies, and mobile clinics in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). A post-crisis review found that ECOWAS’s early involvement reduced Ebola’s spread to other West African states.
Education is another bright spot. The European Union (EU)-ECOWAS Scholarship Programme, launched in 2019, enabled over 500 West African students to pursue advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degrees in Nigeria and Ghana. Alumni of this programme have contributed to innovation hubs such as Kumasi Hive and CcHub Lagos, fostering local tech ecosystems.
In 2023, a US$ 380 million electrification initiative, supported by ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), brought solar-powered electricity to 150 rural schools and health posts across Senegal, Benin, and Burkina Faso, enhancing maternal care and digital education accessibility.
While ECOWAS’s successes are noteworthy, each case study reveals underlying limitations that continue to hamper the region’s integration and resilience.
The Koumassi–Bamako trade corridor exemplifies how cross-border mobility can boost commerce. However, traders frequently report corruption and extortion by border officials, despite the Free Movement Protocol. In 2023, the Borderless Alliance recorded an average of five illegal checkpoints per 100 kilometres on ECOWAS trade routes, inflating transport costs and delivery delays.
While Kantanka Electronics leveraged the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to access regional markets, they also faced non-tariff barriers in Nigeria, including product certification delays and customs bottlenecks. These challenges discourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from fully utilising the scheme. Moreover, only a fraction of member states have implemented ETLS provisions uniformly, reflecting weak institutional harmonisation.
The WAPP's interconnection success is hindered by infrastructure gaps and unreliable national grids. Countries such as Guinea-Bissau still struggle with low transmission capacity, making energy-sharing inconsistent. Additionally, delays in transnational payments between national utilities reduce the financial viability of power exchanges.
The 2017 ECOWAS military intervention in The Gambia is widely viewed as a diplomatic success. However, it exposed the over-reliance on Nigeria and Senegal for regional peacekeeping capacity. Smaller states lacked the logistical resources to participate meaningfully, highlighting unequal burden-sharing in ECOWAS's security architecture.
In Liberia and Sierra Leone, ECOMOG’s presence was essential, yet critics point to human rights abuses by peacekeepers and a lack of post-conflict reconstruction funding. In both countries, the reintegration of ex-combatants was uneven, and ECOWAS faced difficulties in coordinating with the United Nations (UN) and donor agencies to sustain long-term peace dividends.
Smaller states lacked the logistical resources to participate meaningfully, highlighting unequal burden-sharing in ECOWAS's security architecture.
Despite progress in maritime security, challenges persist. The Yaoundé Code of Conduct’s efficacy hinges on its successful cooperation with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and national navies, but inter-agency rivalry and resource constraints have hampered intelligence-sharing and coordinated patrols. Smaller countries such as Togo and Benin remain vulnerable due to limited naval assets.
During the 2014 Ebola crisis, ECOWAS’s early response helped contain the virus. However, the outbreak also revealed poor coordination with national health systems and limited stockpiles of emergency medical supplies. The WAHO lacked a regional pandemic preparedness plan at the time, exposing governance and logistical shortcomings.
The EU-ECOWAS Scholarship Programme has expanded education access, but issues of brain drain persist. Many scholarship recipients have chosen to remain abroad, citing limited research infrastructure and job opportunities back home. This undermines the intended goal of building local capacity.
Many scholarship recipients have chosen to remain abroad, citing limited research infrastructure and job opportunities back home.
The US$ 380 million electrification initiative reached hundreds of rural schools and clinics, yet many sites report maintenance problems due to a lack of technical staff and funding for equipment repair. Without sustained investment, the long-term viability of these projects remains uncertain.
Fifty years after its formation, ECOWAS remains one of Africa’s more successful and multifaceted regional communities. It is relatively well-institutionalised and responsive, though not without shortcomings. Today, it faces new global challenges and evolving expectations from its members and the African Union. To remain effective, ECOWAS must enhance member participation, avoiding overreliance on any state. Greater internal unity is essential to prevent further exits, like those seen in the Sahel. Addressing modern challenges—climate change, terrorism, pandemics, migration, and youth employment—is vital. Strengthening ECOWAS will not only ensure its relevance but also support the broader goals of African integration.
Gurjit Singh has served as India's ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, ASEAN and the African Union.
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Gurjit Singh has served as Indias ambassador to Germany Indonesia Ethiopia ASEAN and the African Union. He is the Chair of CII Task Force on ...
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