By Manuel Godsin
West Africans are eagerly awaiting the Ecowas summit scheduled for December 15, 2024, in Abuja. This critical meeting could mark a turning point in the region’s development as Ecowas navigates the aftermath of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso exiting the economic bloc.
Citizens and experts alike are questioning the organisation’s future strategy: How will Ecowas evolve post-departure of these nations? Can it reduce the influence of former colonial powers, and what lessons can it learn to strengthen its cohesion and purpose?
Observers have noted growing fractures within Ecowas. The bloc is grappling with significant political and economic challenges, further exacerbated by financial strains.
The decision of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to withdraw their contributions has jeopardized vital projects. For instance, the Ecowas Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) recently announced the freezing of a solar-powered water station project in Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Guinea due to a budget deficit exceeding 20 million CFA francs.
In an urgent plea, ECREEE has called for the upcoming summit to prioritise discussions on bridging this financial gap. These issues highlight the severe repercussions of reduced funding on Ecowas’s ability to deliver regional development initiatives.
On social media, the upcoming summit has provoked a lot of debate. Some users argue that Ecowas deliberately downplayed the importance of countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
“Ecowas, through lies and manipulation, made people believe that the Sahel was useless. All the Ecowas countries were counting on the Sahel and its resources to obtain loans from the IMF and the World Bank. That's all over now”, noted one social media user.
Others have highlighted that the organisation’s financial struggles could have been avoided if all member states had consistently fulfilled their obligations.
“It is small countries like Burkina Faso that regularly pay their dues to keep Ecowas and the AU running. The so-called economically better-off countries have never paid their dues. If all countries actually paid their dues, Ecowas would not have this problem,” pointed out another user.
These debates also bring attention to the growing call for Ecowas to reevaluate its ties with France, which is often criticized for exerting undue influence on the bloc’s internal affairs.
Nigerian security analyst Jaye Gaskia emphasised the broader implications of recent developments.
"The withdrawal of members of Ecowas would have implications on Ecowas itself in terms of its mandate and purpose for integration to ensure joint security and economic integration," Gaskia noted.
He further stressed the importance of establishing protocols to address insecurity and instability, asking pointedly: "At what point is the constitution of a country actually subverted? Is it when leaders become irresponsible, or is it when [the] military responds to that?"
As the Abuja summit approaches, the stakes are high. The decisions made at this meeting will likely shape the organisation’s trajectory, determining whether Ecowas can adapt to a rapidly changing political and economic landscape and restore confidence among its citizens.
* Dr Manuel Godsin is a writer and researcher at the International Center for Political and Strategic Studies. He has a large number of books translated into many languages: English, French, and Spanish, including The Crisis of the World and The Conflict of the Wings: The World on the Brink of Abyss.