ECOWAS Parliament backs sanctions against defaulting members as trade barriers threaten regional integration

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has backed the introduction of sanctions against member states that fail to implement regional trade agreements, warning that persistent violations of economic protocols are undermining West Africa’s ambition of becoming a fully integrated market capable of lifting millions out of poverty.

The lawmakers said the inability of member countries to enforce existing agreements on the free movement of people, goods and services has weakened regional trade, increased the cost of doing business and prevented millions of small and medium-sized enterprises from benefiting from the opportunities offered by the ECOWAS market.

The position of the parliament emerged at a delocalised meeting of its Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, Administration, Finance and Budget, and Public Accounts held in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

The meeting brought together lawmakers and stakeholders to examine ways of strengthening private sector participation, expanding regional commerce and addressing persistent challenges affecting cross-border trade.

The push for sanctions was first raised by Dr. Tony Elumelu of the ECOWAS Business Council Secretariat, who argued that stronger enforcement measures were necessary to compel member states to respect regional commitments and accelerate integration.

Supporting the proposal, Nigerian lawmaker, Hon. Bashiru Dawodu, said West Africa could no longer afford to operate as isolated economies despite the region’s huge population and economic potential.

He noted that ECOWAS, with a population of about 400 million people and enormous market opportunities, had failed to maximise its advantages because countries continue to pursue policies that restrict rather than promote regional cooperation.

“I buy into this idea because they say we are about 400 million people in West Africa generating billions of dollars, but our challenge is that we are not integrated,” Dawodu said.

“We are all in silos and we have the laws. Sometimes, it is not a la carte. People have to be pressured to do the right thing. If countries know that they have sanctions, I think they would do better.”

The lawmaker stressed that effective implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and other regional protocols remained critical to achieving economic transformation and empowering businesses across the sub-region.

Established in 1975, ECOWAS was created to promote economic cooperation, integration and development among West African countries. Over the years, the bloc has introduced several initiatives, including protocols on free movement of citizens, the right of residence and establishment, as well as trade liberalisation measures aimed at creating a common regional market.

However, decades after its formation, businesses and citizens continue to face challenges at borders, including multiple checkpoints, delays, unofficial payments, restrictions on movement and inconsistent application of regional agreements by member states.

These challenges, experts say, have continued to limit intra-regional trade, which remains significantly below its potential compared with other regions of the world.

Dawodu also raised concerns over the dominance of the informal sector in West Africa, saying that millions of small businesses remain disconnected from formal financial systems and regional value chains.

He argued that integrating MSMEs into the formal economy would unlock access to funding, improve productivity and enable small businesses to participate effectively in cross-border trade.

“It is extremely important to integrate the small and medium businesses into the value chain. As you are aware, in ECOWAS countries, most of our people are into small and medium-scale businesses. We think about 90 per cent of the people are in the informal sector,” he said.

He added that the objective of the meeting was to strengthen the participation of small businesses in regional commerce by improving financing opportunities, infrastructure and market access.

“We need better integration of goods and services, adequate financing for small-scale businesses and improved infrastructure,” he said.

Also speaking at the meeting, Liberian parliamentarian, Hon. Taa Wongbe, called for renewed political commitment by ECOWAS governments to enforce agreements already reached by the regional bloc.

Wongbe expressed disappointment that traders and ordinary citizens continue to experience the same border difficulties that existed decades ago, despite repeated promises by governments to promote free movement.

He recalled his childhood experiences travelling from Liberia through neighbouring countries, noting that many of the obstacles faced by travellers and traders remain unresolved.

“Unfortunately, after all of these years, we are still experiencing the same challenges. I shared my experience as a young child moving from Nimba in Liberia through these borders coming right here in Benin and even buying goods at the Grand Marché market,” he said.

“During those periods, we spent sometimes weeks and days on the road, and now our mothers are still experiencing the same thing.”

Wongbe urged the ECOWAS Parliament to establish a committee that would visit border communities across the region to experience firsthand the difficulties faced by citizens and traders.

According to him, such visits would provide lawmakers with stronger evidence to engage governments and push for the removal of unnecessary barriers.

“One of the things I have been pushing is that we should form a committee to experience the same thing the people are experiencing. When we experience it, then we can go and pressure our governments to remove some of those roadblocks,” he said.

He warned that continued restrictions along trade routes were contributing to high prices of goods and services, thereby worsening economic hardship among citizens.

From Liberia to Ghana, and across several West African corridors, traders have repeatedly complained about delays at borders, multiple taxation and administrative bottlenecks that increase transportation costs and reduce competitiveness.

The renewed call by the ECOWAS Parliament comes at a critical period when governments across the region are grappling with rising unemployment, poverty, food insecurity and insecurity — challenges that analysts say require stronger regional economic cooperation.

Stakeholders believe that a truly integrated West Africa, where businesses can move freely across borders and citizens can access wider markets, could create millions of jobs and accelerate economic growth.

However, achieving that vision may depend on whether ECOWAS leaders are willing to move from commitments to enforcement and ensure that regional agreements are respected by all member states.