As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marks its 50th anniversary in 2025, the bloc stands at a crossroads. Born in 1975 to foster economic unity among 15 West African nations, ECOWAS has achieved notable successes in regional integration while grappling with existential challenges that threaten its vision of a “borderless region.” This milestone offers a moment to reflect on its legacy, resilience, and the path ahead.
Pillars of Progress: Economic and social integration
ECOWAS’s most significant achievement lies in its foundational protocols. The 1979 Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, which allows visa-free travel and residency for 90 days, has enabled cross-border mobility for over 400 million people, fostering cultural exchange and informal trade networks.
This framework, coupled with the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), eliminated tariffs on goods of regional origin, boosting intra-regional commerce. By 2021, ECOWAS scored 75% on trade integration metrics, outperforming many African sub-regional blocs
Infrastructure development has also been pivotal. Projects like the Abidjan-Lagos Highway Corridor—a 1,028 km transnational road linking five coastal nations—aim to enhance connectivity and economic synergy by 2026. Additionally, the West African Power Pool and regional electricity market have improved energy access, critical for industrialization. Financially, the privately owned pan-African Ecobank, established in 1985, has supported cross-border investments, embodying ECOWAS’s vision of economic solidarity.
In peacekeeping, ECOWAS carved a global reputation through ECOMOG, its regional force that mediated crises in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, by backing diplomatic efforts at resolving the crises with military interventions.
More recently, protocols on democracy and governance, such as the 2001 mandate against unconstitutional regime changes, underscored its commitment to stability—though enforcement remains inconsistent and indeed has led to the alienation of member states where the failings of democratic civilian rule have led to the resurgence of military coups in recent years.
Mounting challenges: Fragmentation and security
Indeed, despite these strides, ECOWAS faces unprecedented turbulence. The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in January 2025—forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—marks the bloc’s gravest crisis since Mauritania’s exit in 2000. The AES cites ECOWAS’s “foreign influence,” inadequate counterterrorism support, and punitive sanctions after coups as key reasons for their withdrawal from the sub regional bloc.. This exodus disrupts trade routes, isolates landlocked Sahel nations, and weakens ECOWAS’s collective bargaining power, risking an estimated 1.3% GDP growth stagnation in 2024.
Security remains a critical failure. Despite ECOWAS’s Standby Force and counterterrorism frameworks, groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates dominate the Sahel, causing Burkina Faso to rank highest in global terrorism impact. The bloc’s reliance on sanctions, rather than diplomatic engagement, has alienated military-led states, pushing them toward Russian partnerships.
Economically, low intra-regional trade persists at just 15% of total trade, overshadowed by reliance on raw material exports to Europe and China. Delays in launching the ECO single currency, initially planned for 2020, reflect macroeconomic disparities and political hesitancy. Meanwhile, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and cybercrime threaten maritime and digital security, complicating integration efforts.
The road ahead: Reinvention or decline?
ECOWAS’s 2050 vision of a “borderless region” demands urgent reforms. Experts urge prioritizing inclusive governance to address citizens’ needs, exemplified by youth and women’s marginalization despite comprising 60% of the population. Strengthening supranational institutions, akin to the EU’s model, could mitigate sovereignty disputes.
Re-engaging the AES through transitional trade and mobility arrangements—while addressing Sahel-specific security and economic grievances—is vital. As Senegalese analyst Dr. Abdoulaye Bathily notes, ECOWAS must “reconcile security and development needs” to adapt to shifting geopolitics.
ECOWAS at the crossroads
At 50, ECOWAS embodies both the promise and pitfalls of African regionalism. Its achievements in mobility, trade, and peacekeeping showcase the potential of collective action. Yet, the Sahel crisis and institutional rigidity expose vulnerabilities. To survive another half-century, ECOWAS must evolve from a “club of elites” to a people-centered bloc, leveraging its US$734.8 billion GDP and youthful population to build resilience. This year\s commemorative anniversary is not just a celebration but a clarion call for reinvention.
