The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): the Challenges to the Implementation of the Protocol on the Free Movement of Goods, Persons and Establishment

Abstract

The Paper examines the challenges facing the non-implementation of the ‘ECOWAS’ Protocol on the Free Movement of goods, services, persons and capital. In its finding, several problems including the lack of Political commitments, administrative restrictions, civil conflicts, wars and terrorism are major obstacles to the implementation of the Protocol on free movement of goods, services, persons and capital in West Africa. Thus the Paper recommends that ECOWAS’ leaders should seriously address those obstacles in the implementation of the Protocol.

Keywords: Liberalization, administrative restrictions, protocol, establishment, development, pirate, security, implementation, abolition, globalization.