About Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS):
- It the regional group established by signing the Lagos Treaty on the 28th of May 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria.
- It has following objectives:
- To promote cooperation and integration, leading to the establishment of an economic union in West Africa in order to raise the living standards of its peoples, and to maintain and enhance economic stability, foster relations-among Member States and contribute to the progress and development of the African continent.
- To have a single common currency and create a single, large trading bloc in areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial issues, and social and cultural matters.
- Member countries: The current Member States of ECOWAS are Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sénégal and Togo.
- On January 29, 2025, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from ECOWAS.
- Along with the goals of economic cooperation, it has attempted to quell military conflicts in the region.
- It also operated a regional peacekeeping operation known as ECOMOG, led by Nigeria in the 1990s and early 2000s.
- Headquarter: Abuja, Nigeria.
