The Founding of ECOWAS

On 28 May 1975 the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was established with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, with the mission of promoting economic integration across the region (Wikipedia). The Library of Congress country study records that Nigeria joined other West African countries in creating it, with a mandate to reduce trade barriers in the region. All of its present members except Cape Verde, which joined in 1977, were founding members.

ECOWAS grew out of the problems faced by the newly independent states of West Africa, former French, British and Portuguese colonies together with Liberia. According to Wikipedia, many of these states struggled to achieve economic development on their own, and a regional approach was seen as necessary; the community was founded to provide regional economic co-operation. The Library of Congress country study records that Nigeria joined other West African countries in creating ECOWAS in 1975, with a mandate to reduce trade barriers in the region, and that Nigeria's regional ties through ECOWAS and the Organisation of African Unity were complemented by its active role in the Commonwealth.

ECOWAS's stated goal is "collective self-sufficiency" for its members through a single large trading bloc and, eventually, a full economic union; the treaty was revised and signed again at Cotonou on 24 July 1993 (Wikipedia). Over time the community took on political and military co-operation as well: it has sent peacekeeping forces at least seven times, with interventions in Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and The Gambia, and has monitored elections across the region. Mauritania withdrew in 2000, and in 2024 the military governments of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali announced their withdrawal, which took effect on 29 January 2025 (Wikipedia).