Economic Community of West African States-ECOWAS

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Recently, the West African leaders in a recent regional summit suspended Mali from ECOWAS bodies after a second coup by the Malian military

About the Economic Community of West African States-ECOWAS

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is made up of fifteen member countries that are located in the Western African region
• Established on May 28 1975 via the treaty of Lagos, ECOWAS is a 15-member regional group with a mandate of promoting economic integration in all fields of activity of the constituting countries.
• The Vision of ECOWAS is the creation of a borderless region where the population has access to its abundant resources and is able to exploit same through the creation of opportunities under a sustainable environment. 
• Members: ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo
• Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS was set up to foster the ideal of collective self-sufficiency for its member states. 
• As a trading union, it is also meant to create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation.

Institutions and Specialised Agencies of ECOWAS

• The body of ECOWAS is made up of Institutions and Specialised Agencies. The Institutions comprise: 
  • The Authority of Heads of States and Government, The Commission, The Community Parliament, The Community Court of Justice, Council of Ministers, Specialised Technical Committees as well as the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).
• The following are ECOWAS Specialised Agencies: 
  • West African Health Organisation (WAHO)
  • West African Monetary Agency (WAMA)
  • Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundry and Terrorist Financing in West Africa (GIABA)
  • ECOWAS Gender and Development Centre
  • ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre
  • ECOWAS Water Resources Coordination Centre
  • West African Power Pool
  • ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), 
  • ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA)
  • ECOWAS Infrastructure Projects Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU) as well as ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme.

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