ECOWAS

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO
in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen
countries of West Africa. Collectively, the countries comprise an area of
5,114,162 km2 (1,974,589 sq mi) and have an estimated population of over 424.34
million.[5]
Economic Community of West
African States
Communauté économique des États
de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (French)
Comunidade Económica dos Estados
da África Ocidental (Portuguese)

Emblem

Member states
Suspended states
 [Link]/geohac
[Link]?pagename=E
COWAS&params=9
_2_31_N_7_31_30_
E_type:city(1,700,0
00)_region:NG-FC)
Official languages English
French
Portuguese
Member states 15 members [show]
Leaders

• Chairman Bola Ahmed Tinubu

• President of the Omar Touray
Commission
• Speaker of the Moustapha Cissé
Parliament Lô
Establishment 28 May 1975

• Treaty of Lagos 28 May 1975[1]

 • Total 5,114,162 km2
(1,974,589 sq mi)
(7th)
Population
• 2019 estimate 387 million (3rd)
• Density 68.3/km2
(176.9/sq mi)
GDP (PPP) 2015 estimate
• Total US$1.483 trillion[2]
(18th)
• Per capita US$4,247[3]
GDP (nominal) estimate
• Total $816.4 billion[4]
2019 (21st)
• Per capita $2,089
Currency Cape Verdean
escudo (CVE)
Ghanaian cedi
(GHS)
 Guinean franc
(GNF)
Liberian dollar
(LRD)
Nigerian naira
(NGN)
Sierra Leonean
leone (SLL)

West African CFA

franc (XOF)
West African Unit
of Account (WAUA)
Time zone UTC-1 to +1
Drives onRight
[Link]
([Link]
nt/)

Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic
Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-
sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a
full economic and trading union. Additionally, ECOWAS aims to raise living standards
and promote economic development.[6] The union was established on 28 May 1975,
with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos [7] with its stated mission to promote
ECOWAS's fundamental principles rely on equity, inter-dependence, solidarity, co-
operation, nonaggression, regional peace, promotion of human rights, and economic
and social justice.[9]

Notably among ECOWAS's protocols and plans are the ECOWAS Free Movement of
Persons, Residences and Establishment Protocol and the Ecotour Action Plan 2019–
2029. The Free Movement of Persons Protocol permits citizens the right to enter and
reside in any member state's territory,[10] and the Ecotour Action Plan aims to develop
and integrate the tourist industry of each member state.[11]

ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region, with member states
occasionally sending joint military forces to intervene in the bloc's member countries
at times of political instability and unrest.[12][13]

In 2024, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali announced their withdrawal from the bloc.[14]
The countries had earlier been suspended from ECOWAS due to military takeovers of
their respective governments.[15]

Member states
Upon its foundation, ECOWAS had 15 member states: eight French-speaking, five
English-speaking, and two Portuguese-speaking. All current members joined the
community as founding members in May 1975, except Cape Verde which joined in
1977.[16][17]

Morocco officially requested to join ECOWAS in February 2017.[18] The application

was endorsed in principle at the Summit of Heads of State in June 2017.[19][17]
However, Morocco's bid for membership was stalled as West African economic
actors feared goods imported through Morocco's free trade agreements would flood
the market of states within ECOWAS.[20]
States that have withdrawn or
been suspended
Arabic-speaking Mauritania was one of the founding members of ECOWAS in 1975
and decided to withdraw in December 2000.[16] Mauritania signed a new associate-
membership agreement in August 2017.[21]

Mali was suspended from ECOWAS on 30 May 2021, following its second military
coup within nine months.[22] Guinea was also suspended on 8 September 2021,
shortly after a military coup took place in the country.[23][24] Sanctions were placed on
both countries on 16 September.[25] On 10 January 2022, Mali announced its decision
to close its borders and recalled several ambassadors with ECOWAS in response to
sanctions imposed for deferring elections for four years.[26] On 28 January 2022,
Burkina Faso was suspended from ECOWAS following a military coup.[27] Niger was
suspended from ECOWAS after the 2023 coup d'état and threatened with military
intervention if President Mohamed Bazoum is not restored to office,[28][29] causing the
Nigerien crisis. Additionally, ECOWAS closed all land and air borders between other
member states and Niger and instituted a no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and
from Niger. The suspension removed all commercial and financial transactions and
froze Niger's assets in ECOWAS central banks.[28] On 16 September 2023, Niger, Mali,
and Burkina Faso formed a military alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States, following
ECOWAS's threat to intervene to restore civilian rule in Niger.[30] On 21 November
2023, Niger's military government asked the ECOWAS regional court to order the
lifting of sanctions imposed on the country.[31] Until the coup, aid from countries like
the United States and international organizations like ECOWAS accounted for almost
half of Niger's annual budget. Following Niger's ECOWAS suspension, Niger's
neighbours closed their borders to the country and 70 percent of its electricity,
coming from Nigeria, was cut off.[31] While these sanctions and consequences that
have followed have impacted the individuals and economy of Niger, the government is
not backing down. As a result of the suspension, children have not been able to
On 28 January 2024, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced via a joint statement
that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS "without delay".[32] The three nations, all of
which are currently ruled by military juntas, accused ECOWAS of implementing
"inhumane" sanctions in order to reverse the coups in each nation.[33] Under the
ECOWAS protocol, immediate withdrawal is not possible, and the three member
states could remain in the bloc for up to a year. ECOWAS said in a statement that
"Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali remain important members of the Community and the
Authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political
impasse."[34]

On 24 February 2024, ECOWAS announced that it was lifting some sanctions against
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. For Niger this included the border closures, the freezing
of central bank and state assets, the suspension of commercial transactions, and the
no-fly-zone for commercial flights to and from Niger. However, the political sanctions
and targeted sanctions would remain in force. The communiqué said this was done
for humanitarian reasons, but it was seen as a gesture of appeasement to dissuade
the three junta-led states from withdrawing from the bloc. ECOWAS also lifted
sanctions on Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.[35][36][37]

In December 2024, ECOWAS heads of state of the member countries met finalize the
decision regarding the withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, united under the
AES.[38] President of Senegal, Basirou Diomaye Faye, stated on December 8, 2024 that
he was continuing to discuss with the three countries remaining in ECOWAS, while
maintaining the Alliance of Sahel States, which he recognized as a security response
in the Sahel region.[39] On December 12, 2024, ECOWAS President Bola Tinubu
confirmed the political will of ECOWAS leaders to reintegrate the three countries from
the Alliance of Sahel States.[40] On December 15, 2024, the Conference of Heads of
State of ECOWAS adopted an exit transition period for Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali,
which begins on January 29, 2025 and ends on July 29, 2025. During this transition
period, ECOWAS wants to continue the meditation.[41] The AES has rejected strongly
this one-sided exit transition period suggested by ECOWAS. The AES, has stated they
believe this a ruse by ECOWAS to destabilize their respective countries, Niger, Burkina
Faso, and Mali during this 6-month period. The AES state this 6-month period is a
unilateral, non-binding decision made by ECOWAS and they have no intentions of
ECOWAS member states

Area[42] Population
Country
(km2) (thousands

Benin 114,763 10,

Burkina Faso 272,967 18,

Cape Verde 4,033

The Gambia 11,295 1,

Ghana 238,533 27,

Guinea 245,857 12,

Guinea-Bissau 36,125 1,

Ivory Coast 322,463 22,

Liberia 111,369 4,

Mali 1,240,192 17,

 Area[42] Population
Country
(km2) (thousands

Nigeria 923,768 211,

Senegal 196,712 15,

Sierra Leone 72,300 6,

Togo 56,785 7,

Total 5,114,162 338,

Statistics for population, nominal GDP and purchasing power parity GDP listed below
are taken from World Bank estimates for 2015, published in December 2016.[43][44][45]
Area data is taken from a 2012 report compiled by the United Nations Statistics
Division.[42]

History
ECOWAS was formed initially from the region's former French, British and Portuguese
colonies, and independent Liberia, following post-colonial independence throughout
the region (particularly in the 1960s and 1970s). At independence, many African
states were challenged in increasing economic development.[46] Because these
The union was established on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos,
with its stated mission to promote economic integration across the region. A revised
version of the treaty was agreed and signed on 24 July 1993 in Cotonou.[17]
Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic
Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-
sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a
full economic and trading union.[48]

ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region, with member states
occasionally sending joint military forces to intervene in the bloc's member countries
at times of political instability and unrest.[46] ECOWAS facilitates peacekeeping
through systematic collaboration with civil society, cooperation with development
policies, and other activities with the goal to meet sub-regional security challenges.[46]
It has played an important role in monitoring transitional election in West Africa, and
these mediation efforts have even been recognized within and outside the continent
of Africa.[46] In recent years these included interventions in Ivory Coast in 2003,
Liberia in 2003, Guinea-Bissau in 2012, Mali in 2013, and The Gambia in 2017.[12][13]
Since its creation, ECOWAS has sent peacekeeping forces seven times.[49]

In 2011, ECOWAS adopted its development blueprint for the next decade, Vision 2020,
and, to accompany it, a Policy on Science and Technology (ECOPOST).[50] However, it
has had trouble achieving the goals outlined in the policy.[51]

Covering a region known as a "coup belt", ECOWAS, since the 1990s, has attempted
to defend the region's shift towards democracy against authoritarian attacks.
According to the BBC, since 1990, 78% of the 27 coups in sub-Saharan Africa have
taken place in former French colonies. This has led some to question whether French
influence in Africa has a destabilising impact.[52] The transition governments in Mali
and Burkina Faso cancelled military agreements that allow for French troops to
operate on their territory, and in the case of Mali, removed French as an official
language.[53][54][55] However, the group has been cited for mild and ineffective
responses in the early 2020s, when three member countries experienced military
coups d'état – two in Mali, one in Guinea, and two in Burkina Faso.[23][24][56][57] When a
fourth member, Niger, experienced a coup d'état in July 2023, ECOWAS was vocal in
On 6 July 2024, the military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso signed a new
pact to form a confederation, a political union of sovereign states. The
confederation's stated goal is to provide mutual defense, pool resources to build
energy and communications infrastructure, establish a common market, implement a
monetary union under proposed currency the Sahel, allow free movement of persons,
enable industrialization, and invest in agriculture, mines and energy sectors, with the
end goal of federalizing into a single sovereign state. The move is seen as a strong
move away from ECOWAS, which has been pressing for a return to civilian rule.

Structure

Overall
ECOWAS consists of two operating institutions to implement policies: the ECOWAS
Commission and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) –
formerly known as the Fund for Cooperation, until it was renamed in 2001.[61]

In addition, ECOWAS includes the following institutions: ECOWAS Commission,

Community Court of Justice,[62] Community Parliament,[63] ECOWAS Bank for
Investment and Development (EBID),[63] West African Health Organisation (WAHO),[64]
and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism
Financing in West Africa (GIABA).[65]

ECOWAS includes two sub-regional blocks:

The West African Economic and

Monetary Union (also known by its
French-speaking, states within
ECOWAS which share a customs
union and currency union.[66]
Established in 1994 and intended to
counterbalance the dominance of
English-speaking economies in the
bloc (such as Nigeria and Ghana),
members of UEMOA are mostly
former territories of French West
Africa. The currency they all use is
the CFA franc, which is pegged to
the euro.[66]
The West African Monetary Zone
(WAMZ), established in 2000,
i i i l E li h
 which plan to work towards
adopting their own common
currency, the eco.[66]
ECOWAS operates in three co-official languages—French, English, and Portuguese.[66]

Executive secretaries and

presidents of the commission
 Executive Secretary Country In office

Inaugural holder Aboubakar Diaby Ivory

[67]
January 1977 – 1985
Ouattara Coast

Momodu Munu Sierra 1985–1989

Abass Bundu Leone 1989–1993

Édouard Benjamin 1993–1997

Guinea September 1997 – 31 January
Lansana Kouyaté
2002

1 February 2002 – 31
Mohamed Ibn Chambas
December 2006

1 January 2007 – 18 February

Mohamed Ibn Chambas Ghana
2010

18 February 2010 – 1 March

James Victor Gbeho
2012

Burkina
Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo 1 March 2012 – 4 June 2016
Faso

Marcel Alain de Souza Benin 4 June 2016 – 1 March 2018

Ivory
Jean-Claude Brou 1 March 2018 – 3 July 2022
Coast

Omar Touray Gambia 3 July 2022 – present

Chairpersons
 Chairperson[68] Country In office

Yakubu Gowon Nigeria 28 May 1975 – 29 July 1975

Gnassingbé Eyadéma Togo 29 July 1975 – 13 September 1977

13 September 1977 – 30 September

Olusegun Obasanjo Nigeria
1979

Léopold Sédar
Senegal 30 September 1979 – 31 December 1980
Senghor

Gnassingbé Eyadéma Togo 1980–1981

Siaka Stevens Sierra Leone 1981–1982

Mathieu Kérékou Benin 1982–1983

Ahmed Sékou Touré 1983–1984

Guinea
Lansana Conté 1984–1985

Muhammadu Buhari 1985 – 27 August 1985

Nigeria
Ibrahim Babangida 27 August 1985 – 1989

Dawda Jawara Gambia 1989–1990

Blaise Compaoré Burkina Faso 1990–1991

Dawda Jawara Gambia 1991–1992

Abdou Diouf Senegal 1992–1993

Nicéphore Soglo Benin 1993–1994

Jerry Rawlings Ghana 1994 – 27 July 1996

Sani Abacha 27 July 1996 – 8 June 1998

Nigeria
Abdulsalami Abubakar 9 June 1998 – 1999

Gnassingbé Eyadéma Togo 1999–1999

Alpha Oumar Konaré Mali 1999 – 21 December 2001

Abdoulaye Wade Senegal 21 December 2001 – 31 January 2003

John Kufuor Ghana 31 January 2003 – 19 January 2005

M d T dj Ni 19 J 2005 19 J 2007
Alassane Ouattara Ivory Coast 17 February 2012 – 17 February 2013

John Mahama Ghana 17 February 2013 – 19 May 2015

Macky Sall Senegal 19 May 2015 – 4 June 2016

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Liberia 4 June 2016 – 4 June 2017

Faure Gnassingbé Togo 4 June 2017 – 31 July 2018

Muhammadu Buhari Nigeria 31 July 2018 – 29 June 2019

Mahamadou Issoufou Niger 29 June 2019 – 2 June 2020

Nana Akufo-Addo Ghana 2 June 2020 – 3 July 2022

Umaro Sissoco Guinea-

3 July 2022 – 9 July 2023
Embaló Bissau

Bola Tinubu Nigeria 9 July 2023 – Present

Regional security co-operation

ECOWAS nations assigned a non-aggression protocol in 1990 along with two earlier
agreements in 1978 and 1981. They also signed a Protocol on Mutual Defence
Assistance in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 29 May 1981, that provided for the
establishment of an Allied Armed Force of the Community.[69]

Community Parliament
The Community Parliament consists of 115 members, distributed based on the
population of each member state.[70] This body is headed by the Speaker of the
Parliament, who is above the Secretary General.
 Country Parliament Seats

Benin 5

Burkina Faso 6

Cape Verde 5

Gambia 5

Ghana 8

Guinea 6

Guinea-Bissau 5

Ivory Coast 7

Liberia 5

Mali 6

Niger 6

Nigeria 35

Senegal 6

Sierra Leone 5

Togo 5

Expanded ECOWAS Commission

For the third time since its inception in 1975, ECOWAS is undergoing institutional
reforms. The first was when it revised its treaty on 24 July 1993; the second was in
2007 when the Secretariat was transformed into a Commission. As of July 2013,
ECOWAS now has six new departments (Human Resources Management; Education,
Science and Culture; Energy and Mines; Telecommunications and IT; Industry and
Private Sector Promotion). Finance and Administration to Sierra Leone has been
decoupled, to give the incoming Ghana Commissioner the new portfolio of
Administration and Conferences.[71]
Community Court of Justice
ECOWAS Community Court of Justice was created by a protocol signed in 1991 and
was later included in Article 6 of the Revised Treaty of the Community in 1993.[72]
However, the Court did not officially begin operations until the 1991 protocol came
into effect on 5 November 1996. The jurisdiction of the court is outlined in Article 9
and Articles 76 of the Revised Treaty and allows rulings on disputes between states
over interpretations of the Revised Treaty. It also provides ECOWAS Council with
advisory opinions on legal issues (Article 10). Like its companion courts, the
European Court of Human Rights and East African Court of Justice, it has jurisdiction
to rule on fundamental human rights breaches.[72]

Sporting and cultural exchange

ECOWAS nations organise a broad array of cultural and sports events under the
auspices of the body, including the CEDEAO Cup in football, the 2012 ECOWAS
Games and the Miss CEDEAO beauty pageant.[73]

The Community Heads of State and Government adopted African Traditional

Wrestling as the Community sport, and through its specialised agency in charge of
youth and sports development, the Ouagadougou-based ECOWAS Youth and Sports
Development Centre (EYSDC), has consistently organised the yearly ECOWAS African
Wrestling Tournament mainly in Dakar (Senegal) and Niamey (Niger) based on a
harmonized African wrestling code.

The Community, through the EYSDC, also organized 2 editions of ECOWAS

International Cycling tour, taking close to 100 riders from all member states, from
Lagos to Accra and then from Lagos to Abidjan. In addition to the sports and well-
In 2019, the EYSDC instituted ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon. The first edition
brought together international marathoners from West Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and
Cameroon.

Similarly, the Community, through its specialised agency, promotes regional sports
development by offering sponsorship to regional sports federations and specialized
disciplines such as the West African Deaf Sports Union (WADSU), the West African
Liaison Office of the International Council for Military Sports (WALO-CISM), the
Region 2 of the African Athletics Federation, and the West African University Games
(WAUG), among others.

Youth
The ECOWAS Youth Policy Strategic Plan of Action (SPAO) is a 10-year plan that aims
to promote youth development and empowerment in the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS). The SPAO was adopted in 2016 and is based on the
pillars of education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, health and well-
being, peace and security, and governance and participation.[74][75]

The SPAO identifies a number of challenges facing youth in ECOWAS, including high
unemployment rates, lack of access to education and training, and poor health
outcomes. The plan sets out a number of strategies to address these challenges,
including investing in education and training, creating jobs and supporting
entrepreneurship, improving access to health care, promoting peace and security, and
strengthening youth participation in governance.[74][75]

Economic integration
West African Economic and
Monetary Union (UEMOA)
Formed in 1994 on the basis of earlier arrangements whose roots lie in the colonial
era of French West Africa, the West African Economic and Monetary Union, often
referred to by its French acronym UEMOA, brings together eight West African states
of which seven were French colonies until the late 1950s. The member countries use
the West African CFA franc as their currency and share common institutions including
the Central Bank of West African States, Banking Commission of the West African
Monetary Union, Financial Markets Authority of the West African Monetary Union, and
(together with other African countries of the Franc Zone) Regional Insurance Control
Commission.

Membership

Benin (Founding Member)

Burkina Faso (Founding Member)
Guinea-Bissau (Joined on 2 May
1997)
Ivory Coast (Founding Member)
M li (F di M b )
 Senegal (Founding Member)
Togo (Founding Member)

West African Monetary Zone

Formed in 2000, the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) is a group of six countries
within ECOWAS that plan to introduce a common currency called the eco.[76] The six
member states of WAMZ are Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone who
founded the organisation together in 2000 and Liberia who joined on 16 February
2010. Apart from Guinea, which is francophone, they are all English-speaking
countries. Along with Mauritania, Guinea opted out of the CFA franc currency shared
by all other former French colonies in West and Central Africa.

The WAMZ attempts to establish a strong stable currency to rival the CFA franc,
whose exchange rate is tied to that of the euro and is guaranteed by the French
Treasury. The eventual goal is for the CFA franc and eco to merge, giving all of West
and Central Africa a single, stable currency. The launch of the new currency is being
developed by the West African Monetary Institute based in Accra, Ghana.

Membership

Gambia (Founding Member)

Ghana (Founding Member)
Guinea (Founding Member)
 Liberia (Joined on 16 February
2010)[77][78]
Nigeria (Founding Member)
Sierra Leone (Founding Member)

The Free Movement of Persons,

Residence and Establishment
Protocol
In May 1979, ECOWAS adopted a Free Movement of Persons, Residence and
Establishment Protocol, which permits citizens to enter, reside, and establish
economic activities in the territory of member states.[10] There were three phases of
implementation to achieve the goals of the protocol. Over the course of five years,
Phase I eliminated the need for visas for stays of up to 90 days within the ECOWAS
territory.[10] Phase II attempted to extend residency to citizens in host ECOWAS states
to seek income-earning employment after obtaining an ECOWAS residence card.
Phase II also required member states to grant migrant workers equal treatment in
areas such as employment, participation, social and cultural activities, and in certain
cases of job loss, re-employment, and training.[10] Phase III centered on the
facilitation and establishment of business through the right of citizens to manage
economic activities in countries other than their country of origin. However, this right
has not been fully established in the ECOWAS region.[10] While these three phases
promoting freedom of movement within the ECOWAS region is more advanced than in
any other regional grouping in Africa, only the first phase has been fully implemented
In December 2000, the ECOWAS passport was introduced as a common passport
that functions as an international travel document, and member states are currently in
the process of implementing a joint visa for non-ECOWAS citizens.[80] Additionally,
ECOWAS has worked to ease the movement of people transported in private and
commercial vehicles by implementing policies that enable vehicles to enter and
reside in a State for up to ninety days. Most ECOWAS states have instituted an
ECOWAS brown card, which provides prompt, fair, and immediate compensation for
any motor accident which occurs outside a motorist's home-country.[81]

While monitoring committees exist to ensure all three phases of the protocol are
successfully implemented, their work is vague and has not been credited with
effective and efficient production of data.[10] The largest challenges assosicated
within the implementation of the protocol occur due to lack of commitment and
enforceability. More so, there is a lack of access to readily available migrant
information in the ECOWAS region. This poses a barrier to freedom of movement as
immigration officials in member states are unaware that individuals who hold valid
travel documents can enter their country freely. Therefore, West African migrants,
who are entitled to enter through regular channels, leave their countries without
proper travel documents and enter other countries illegally. This illegal and irregular
entry poses a barrier towards gaining reliable travel statistics.[10]

For example, Francophone countries in the region have issued national identity cards
that can be used similarly to a passport. These cards permit citizens to cross borders
after presenting their identity cards. However, Anglophone countries have only just
begun distributing a similar form of identification. Consequently, immigration officials
in Anglophone countries commonly reject Francophone national identity cards and do
not permit Francophone citizens to cross into their borders. Further, these structural
barriers are exasperated between different social classes. Middle-class individuals
typically experience a smoother border-crossing process than working-class
individuals and impoverished citizens who do not have travel documents and are not
fluent in the language of the countries they are crossing into.[82]

Transport
A Trans-ECOWAS project, established in 2007, plans to upgrade railways in this
zone.[83]

Tourism
In 2019, ECOWAS unveiled its Ecotour Action Plan 2019 – 2029. It focuses on tourism
heritage protection and development and on the development of standards,
regulations, and control systems.[84][85][86] The plan includes five programs for
implementation, and detailed mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation. Ecotourism
is not specifically developed, yet it has been mentioned that the program has the
opportunity to create linkages between institutions and stakeholder collaboration to
suit ecotourism projects that prioritize community, biodiversity, and
socioeconomics.[87] The Ecotour Plan prioritizes local development, especially in
generating skilled and unskilled jobs for marginalized individuals, and aims to make
the ECOWAS region a first-class tourist destination in Africa.[11] During its creation,
ECOWAS ministers also called on ecotourism programs to protect threatened
biodiversity in the Guinean Forests, which span into seven ECOWAS member states.
Similar to the Free Movement of People Protocol, Ecotour aims to integrate aviation
and ground transportation. ECOWAS hopes that this regional approach will allow
states to fight against pandemics such as COVID-19 to restore tourism and
ecosystems. Ecotour works to create increasing returns to its members' economies
by lowering transport costs, developing hospitality training centers and creating a
more integrated use of digital technology.[88]

As of March 2023, Council members mentioned that phases one and two of the
Ecotour Action Plan have come to an end and that the community is moving into
phase three and four, which focuses on the development of tourist accommodations
establishments, and a proposal for a regional mechanism to enforce tourist
regulations. By the end of phase five, ECOWAS hopes to have unified
accommodations in hotels, ecolodges, motels, apart hotels, and hostels. In April
2023, tourism experts met to amend the new text for tourist accommodations in the
services. Mrs. Massandjé Toure-Liste, the ECOWAS Commission's Commissioner for
Economic Affairs and Agriculture, pointed out the improvements in the tourist sector
due to the African Continental Free Trade Area, a trade agreement signed by 44
members of the African Union which creates a single market for goods and services.
Mrs. Toure-Liste praised the trade area for providing development opportunities,
economic growth, and boosting regional integration.[91]

See also

Brown card system – motor

insurance scheme of ECOWAS
Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA)
East African Community
Economic Community of Central
African States (ECCAS)
Economy of Africa
ECOWAS Peace Pageant
 Intergovernmental Authority on
Development
Southern African Development
Community (SADC)
Alliance of Sahel States (AoSS), a
defense pact formed by suspended
states of ECOWAS

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