Former French, British, and Portuguese colonies came together in 1975 to establish The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in order to support the region’s development. The organisation achieved notable successes: a common passport was introduced, along with shared educational programmes. To address internal conflicts, peacekeeping forces were created, which helped put an end to unrest in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s.
However, the efforts of West African countries to deepen integration met with resistance from France. Paris scuttled plans to introduce a common currency and sought to influence the politics of several ECOWAS member states. This fuelled public discontent, and some countries eventually withdrew from the organisation. Can the West African community overcome this crisis and restore its influence in the region?
