Economic Community of West African States : Ask Biography

General information

Local name

Comunidade Económica dos Estados da África Ocidental
Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest

Name

Comunidade Económica dos Estados da África Ocidental
Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest

Administrative center

Headquarters

Largest city

Lagos, Nigeria

Official languages

English, French, Portuguese

Government

Chairman

Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan

President of the Commission

Ghana James Victor Gbeho

Speaker of the Parliament

Niger Mahamane Ousmane

Treaty of Lagos

28 May 1975

Geography

Total Area

1974103 sq mi (5112926.8 km2) (7th)

Demography

Population Est.

251646263 (4th)

Density (pop.)

49.2/km² (127.5/sq mi)

Economy

GDP PPP

US$ 389,519 Billion (2005) (28th)

GDP (PPP) per capita

US$ 7,890

Other information

Currency

Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)
Cedi (GHS)2
Dalasi (GMD)2
Guinean franc (GNF)2
Liberian dollar (LRD)3
Naira (NGN)2
Leone (SLL)3
West African CFA franc (XOF)

Home | Country | Economic Community of West African States

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, the organization was founded in order to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trading bloc through an economic and trading union. It also serves as a peacekeeping force in the region. The organization operates officially in three co-equal languages-English, French, and Portuguese.

The ECOWAS consists of two institutions to implement policies, the ECOWAS Secretariat and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, formerly known as the Fund for Cooperation until it was renamed in 2001. James Victor Gbeho, the Advisor to the President of Ghana on Foreign Affairs, currently serves as the President of the commission. The current chairman is President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria.

A few members of the organization have come and gone over the years. In 1976 Cape Verde joined ECOWAS, and in December 2000 Mauritania withdrew, having announced its intention to do so in December 1999.