Introduction

Inter-governmental authority on development (IGAD) as a regional bloc is operating with a lot of impediments that delayed the organization from attaining greater economic integration. The objective of this study was to show the ways in which IGAD can actualize credible economic integration in the region, though the best is yet to come. Qualitative data collection approaches (interview and literature as primary and secondary data sources respectively) were employed. Finding of this study revealed that multi-level governance (MLG) model is the suitable approach to make IGAD successful in realizing greater economic integration. Decentralization of power, effective participation, designing specific objectives, sharing the lows as well as the highs, and establishing standing technical committee were the main strategies to effectuate MLG model on IGAD integration context. The major internal IGAD integration impediments were the presence of poor governance structure and weak leadership, the existence of weak Secretariat, the absence of annual meeting and the lack of cross-border institution. Whereas, the external hindering factors were the existence of longstanding political instability, armed conflicts and emergence of terrorist groups, lack of political determination, overlapping membership, similarity of import-export goods and the absence of uniformity among member states in undertaking responsibilities. In the nutshell, IGAD regional integration process is slow in its pace and needs urgent re-revitalization with the concept of MLG model. In order to make IGAD viable regional bloc re-revitalization of the IGAD governance structure with the concept of MLG model, having ordinary summit to address strategic agenda of the organization and drawing lessons from the EU integration process as the EU decentralized power along its layers of governance structure were recommended. Key words: Horn of Africa, Inter-governmental authority on development (IGAD), multi-level governance, regional economic communities, regional economic integration.

This paper examines the impact the economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a regional economic community (REC) has exerted on the backward integration of her member states into global value chains between 2007 and 2012. The conventional indicator of regional economic integration is compared vis-a-vis a relatively newly proposed indicator in order to investigate which one performs better in respect of economic expectations. Using the systems generalised method of moments, this study finds that the newly proposed indicator, which uses the rest of the world as the benchmark rather than the world while measuring the indicator of regional economic integration, outperforms its counterpart. Estimates also show that although ECOWAS as a REC has contributed positively to her members' backward integration into GVCs, this contribution is not statistically significant. To enhance members' access to the needed quality inputs via the backward integration, more intensified efforts are needed from this REC.

IGAD's Progress in Regional Integration and the Role of the AU

Regional integration and food security are pivotal aspects of sustainable development, especially in the context of West Africa. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) represents one of the regional arrangements on political cooperation and economic integration in Africa. While regional integration holds the promise of bolstering food security through collective efforts, its success in fostering food security has encountered a myriad of challenges in West Africa. This study analyzed the problems and potential opportunities of regional integration in West Africa. From the analysis, it became evident that the ECOWAS faces unique challenges and opportunities as it strives to achieve a balance between economic collaboration and ensuring an adequate stable food supply for its growing population. Some of the problems of regional integration in West Africa include trade barriers, lack of unified agricultural policy, border issues and environmental problems. Notwithstanding these problems, collaboration within the ECOWAS framework presents avenues for member countries to unlock economic potential, foster stability, and collectively address food security challenges. It is therefore recommended that the ECOWAS needs to adopt a common agricultural policy, implement water management strategies, develop various market information systems and embark on different capacity building programmes in order to ensure food security among ECOWAS countries.

The study perceives the ‘state’ as a collection of various institutions that execute core functions that are all basic for the survival of a certain political community. Based on this definition, state-building refers to the process of constructing new institutions, reconstructing old institutions, and consolidating the existing state institutions for the protection of social cohesion and the promotion of economic development and political stability within a given state. Accordingly, the principal objective of this study is to examine the symbiosis between state-building and regional integration in the Horn of Africa by taking the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Member States as a Case Study. The researchers argue that any attempt at regional integration will never be achieved in regions that consist of weak, failed, or fragile states. Unlike other regions in Africa and elsewhere, regional integration in the Horn of Africa is at an early stage, as the region is dominated by fragile and insecure states. The study used both primary and secondary data to reveal the symbiosis between state-building and regional integration.

The process of close integration in Eastern Africa has resulted in changes in trade structures and production processes across borders. This paper presents the transformations taking place in trade exchange in one of the initiatives of the African community: the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). This paper offers a multidimensional analysis of the changes in foreign trade structures of IGAD states, for example, trade creation effects, changes in competitiveness, trade concentration or the similarities of IGAD’s trade with selected economic integration communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to ensure uniformity in this analysis, the study is based on data compiled by international organizations, mainly the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This chapter discusses three credible attempts by African governments to restrict the jurisdiction of three similarly situated sub-regional courts in response to politically controversial rulings. In West Africa, when the Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) upheld allegations of torture by opposition journalists in Gambia, that country’s political leaders sought to restrict the Court’s power to review human rights complaints. The other Member States ultimately defeated Gambia’s proposal. In East Africa, Kenya failed in its efforts to eliminate the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and to remove some of its judges after a decision challenging an election to a sub-regional legislature. However, the Member States agreed to restructure the EACJ in ways that have significantly affected the Court’s subsequent trajectory. In Southern Africa, after the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal ruled in favor of white farmers in disputes over land seizures, Zimbabwe prevailed upon SADC Member States to suspend the Tribunal and strip its power to review complaints from private litigants. Variations in the mobilization efforts of community secretariats, civil society groups, and sub-regional parliaments explain why efforts to eliminate the three courts or narrow their jurisdiction were defeated in ECOWAS, scaled back in the EACJ and largely succeeded in the SADC.

This paper is a research on democratic backsliding in West Africa, in which the author examines how Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has responded to the recent military coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger. Using the methodological approach of qualitative case study, the study finds the problems of governance failures, socio-economic challenges, and institutional fragility to be the main factors that cause the decline of democracy. The approaches employed by ECOWAS, which include diplomacy, sanctions, and in few cases, military intervention have produced mixed results, with partial success in The Gambia and a history of inability to stop the violence in other cases. The discussion highlights the weaknesses in the operations of ECOWAS such as weak enforcement capacity, internal divisions and political will among member states. It is suggested to strengthen institutional frameworks, improve early warning systems, increase regional cohesion, and intensify civic participation. The paper also highlights the inseparability of international relations in boosting the democratic efforts of ECOWAS. This study advances a better comprehension of the role of regionalism and democracy in West Africa and provides policy implications to decision-makers and stakeholders, who strive to promote and maintain democracy in the region.

This review paper employed a systematic review of literature (SRL) involving review of policy documents, reports and academic literatures to assess the renewable energy policies and development projects implemented by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with a focus on their progress, successes, and ongoing challenges. In response to widespread energy poverty and growing climate concerns, ECOWAS introduced regional strategies such as the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy (EREP) and the ECOWAS Energy Efficiency Policy (EEEP). These initiatives aim to increase renewable energy penetration, enhance energy efficiency, and support rural electrification across member states. Central to these efforts is the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), which coordinates technical assistance, investment mobilization, and regional policy alignment. Notable achievements include the proliferation of off-grid solar systems, mini-grid developments, and improved regulatory environments in several countries. Progress is also reflected in greater regional cooperation and the attraction of international development partners and private investors. However, challenges remain significant. Key issues include limited access to financing, inadequate technical expertise, regulatory inconsistencies, and infrastructural deficits. Political instability in certain regions and over-dependence on external funding further hinder sustainable progress. The study concludes that while ECOWAS has made important advances in renewable energy development, long-term success will depend on stronger institutional frameworks, local capacity building, and increased domestic investment. A coordinated, inclusive approach is essential to ensure energy access and sustainability in West Africa.

This paper assesses impacts of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks on meat prices in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It analyzes price-transmission, applying innovative techniques, spatial models and a temporal dynamic structural model using VAR analysis coupled with impulse response functions (IRF’s), to assess the magnitude of shocks on meat prices and length of time over which their effects persist. Results find that the shock of HPAI outbreaks had a stronger negative impact on ECOWAS poultry prices than on the international prices, but weaker positive impact on ECOWAS beef and pork prices than on international prices. Poultry in ECOWAS was perfectly segmented during the pre-HPAI, but became more integrated post-HPAI, due to rising import demand for poultry evidenced by an average of 23 percent per year in the post-HPAI years 2009-2012. Block-exogeneity-Wald tests indicated weak connectivity of international markets to ECOWAS poultry markets and strong connectivity of ECOWAS to the international markets. This means that if international prices of poultry are high (low), we can predict high (low) prices in ECOWAS, ceteris paribus, while prices in international markets do not follow ECOWAS prices, being a small market. There is strong connectivity between international and ECOWAS beef and pork prices, but weak relationships between ECOWAS prices and international markets. Linkages in both directions are significant for sheep and goat prices. Inference from Impulse Response Functions indicated that speed recovery from price shocks in international markets are faster than in ECOWAS.

Regional crisis management in West Africa has increasingly drawn scholarly attention, particularly regarding the role of dominant states within regional institutions. Nigeria’s position as a hegemonic actor within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been widely acknowledged; however, existing literature has not sufficiently examined how Nigeria’s influence operates through institutional behaviour to shape crisis management outcomes. This study addresses this gap by examining the nature and extent of Nigeria’s hegemonic influence within ECOWAS and critically assessing how institutional rules, norms, and enforcement mechanisms mediate responses to political crises, including coups and democratic breakdowns. An explorative and descriptive qualitative research design was adopted, drawing data from high-ranking peer-reviewed journal articles, academic books, and authoritative regional and international reports. All materials were subjected to rigorous thematic analysis to ensure analytical credibility and authenticity. The analysis is guided by Hegemonic Stability Theory, which provides insight into how a dominant state contributes to regional order through leadership, coordination, and the provision of collective goods. The study finds that Nigeria’s hegemonic role remains central to ECOWAS’s crisis response capacity, yet its effectiveness is constrained by institutional weaknesses, inconsistent enforcement, and fragmented political will among member states. The study recommends strengthening institutional cohesion, enhancing compliance mechanisms, and improving collective burden-sharing. Consequently, this research contributes to international relations, regional integration studies, African studies, and security studies, while offering policy-relevant insights for regional organisations and decision-makers. Future research should explore comparative hegemonic dynamics across other African regional institutions.

Previous studies on regionalism in West Africa affirm that one of the reasons for integration in the region is the selfish interests of Nigeria. However, the benefits of regional cooperation amongst West African states cannot be sacrificed on the altar of the political interests of Nigeria as previously claimed. Undoubtedly, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has embarked on different integration schemes to foster cooperation and development among member states; the most important among all is the Free Movement Protocol. Although existing literature has investigated the benefits and effectiveness of the protocol in West African Sub-region. Studies on the security implications of the Free Movement Protocol for the region are scanty. This study interrogates the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol vis-a-vis trans-border security in West Africa.

In recent years, the dramatic changes in cooperation and alliance of states and peoples, particularly the “Sahexit” has sparked significant interest and debates among scholars. Ancient African societies and cultures sought to integrate their energies and resources to survive, fight common enemies, withstand common threats, or contemporarily, resolve disputes. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), anchored on Pan-African ideals of nonalignment, unity, and indivisibility of the destiny of African peoples, expanded its initial scope for economic purposes to deal with the rising security challenges in West Africa. Yet, ECOWAS continues to struggle with insurgent activities, recurrent coup d’etats, and more recently the threat of succession from Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali (“Sahexit”). Drawing on Regional Security Complex and human security perspectives, and the literature on Pan Africanism, this paper examines the security challenges of Sahexit for the subregion. It argues that Sahexit poses significant security challenges to the fragile security situation in the subregion particularly at the regional, state, and individual levels. The exit will weaken ECOWAS regional security cooperation, disrupt coordinated regional strategies, and leave major gaps in joint security operations and intelligence sharing, and complicate insecurities in the subregion. The paper concludes with recommendations to mitigate the security challenges.

Digesting the Climate Change Narrative Across Africa: Exploring the causal effects of economic growth and the mediation role of land use change on temperature rise

Since its formation in 1975, The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has attained a mixed-bag of accomplishments in the area of peace and security. Despite its modest gains in this area, the capacity of the organization has been constantly challenged by emerging and recurring security threats in the West African region. These include jihadist terrorism, drug trafficking and the unconstitutional changes of government. Informed by a brief analysis on the theory of security regionalization, this paper assesses the progress of ECOWAS in resolving the aforementioned security challenges, and then determines how the organization could become more meaningful to regional and global security. The data acquired for the paper was gleaned through scholarly deductions and a vigorous review of ECOWAS’ security mechanisms.