ECOWAS and Other West African Regional Organizations

I have been asked to discuss linkages between ECOWAS and other African regional organizations such as ECA, ADB, CEAO, and others. I do not intend to give 'equal time' to all of these organizations. Instead I will focus on West African organizations, some of which are economic and some of which are not. This in no way implies that relationships between ECOWAS and some of the continental organizations such as ECA and ADB are not important. ECA, for example, played a very important role in the creation of ECOWAS and continues to be a strong supporter of ECOWAS. The potential for a close and fruitful relationship also exists with ADB. I will not discuss these relationships precisely because they present no immediate problems and more interesting observations can be made about ECOWAS and other West African organizations. (Author)