E c o n o m i c C o m m u n i t y O f W e s t A f r i c a n S t a t e s (E C O W A S)

ECOWAS in Brief

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded in 1975. Its mission is to promote economic integration in "all fields of
economic activity, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial questions, social and cultural matters....."

The ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, more often called The Fund are its two main institutions designed to implement policies, pursue a number of programmes and carry out development projects in Member States. Such projects include intra-community road construction and telecommunications; and agricultural, energy and water resources development.

In January 2007, The Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with its headquarters in Abuja was transformed into a Commission headed by a President, assisted by a Vice President and Commissioners.

ECOWAS MEMBER STATES
The fifteen (15) West African States that constitute ECOWAS :
* Benin
* Burkina Faso
* Cape Verde
* Cote d'Ivoire
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea Bissau
* Liberia
* Mali
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Senegal
* Sierra Leone
* Togo