ECOWAS is far from achieving its objectives – Dr Antwi-Danso

Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, the Dean and Director of Academic Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, says the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is far from achieving the objectives for which it was established.

He said 50 years after its creation, ECOWAS remained distant from the goal of building an integrated economic community that promoted trade among member states.

“Since 1975, we are nowhere near wanting to create an economic community where we trade amongst ourselves. Unfortunately, we are still almost at a standstill where integration is concerned,” he said.

Dr Antwi-Danso made the remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on the launch of ECOWAS’ 50th Anniversary celebrations and the challenges confronting the regional bloc.

The ECOWAS 50th anniversary was launched on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Accra, with participation from Heads of State and Governments, Ministers, and other dignitaries.

The event featured the unveiling of the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee logo and theme, as well as artistic performances celebrating the bloc’s history and achievements.

Dr Antwi-Danso identified poor leadership, trade barriers, inadequate infrastructure, and limited cooperation among member states as major impediments to the region’s integration efforts.

He noted that intra-ECOWAS trade currently stood between 10 and 14 per cent, compared to 86 percent of trade with external partners – a situation he described as unfavourable to the bloc’s development and integration goals.

“If the West African Power Pool and West African Gas Pipeline Projects were functioning as intended, there would be no power outages in any part of West Africa,” he added.

Dr Antwi-Danso criticised the incomplete status of the trans-ECOWAS highway, which is vital for the movement of goods and services across the region.

“The highway is still not completed, and as a result, one cannot drive from Ghana to Sierra Leone or Senegal,” he said.

He expressed concern over the unawareness of many citizens in member states of ECOWAS’ operations and offices, with the only visible presence often being an ECOWAS desk at ministries such as Foreign Affairs or Finance.

“It’s like the enthusiasm towards ECOWAS is now on the back burner, while each country focuses on its specific problems,” he stated.

Dr Antwi- Danso observed that 12 of the 15 West African countries involved in the ECOWAS project were considered underdeveloped, with only Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal standing out.

The economic constraints of the majority of member states, he noted, had led them to prioritise national interests over regional cooperation.

Dr Antwi-Danso, therefore, called on ECOWAS to promote regional integration through policy harmonisation, resource pooling, and collective action to address the region’s pressing challenges.

He stressed the need for strong leadership and greater collaboration among member countries to strengthen the bloc’s security, economic development, and infrastructure agenda.

Source: GNA

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