Globalisation versus Disintegration: Implication of Trade Liberalisation for Intra-Regional Trade in West Africa

Abstract

The study interrogated the role of globalization in undermining regional integration in West Africa. Secondary data were collected from documentary sources while qualitative descriptive method of analysis was employed. We predicated our study on the complex interdependence theory. Hence, the study isolated trade liberalization as an aspect of globalization and argued that contemporary trade liberalisation as facilitated by the WTO intensifies the specialization of Third World countries in the production of raw commodities and consumers of finished goods. We noted inter alia that most of the global trade agreements reached under the auspices of the WTO tend to promote the trade interests of the developed western countries to the detriment of the Third World Countries. Consequently, West African countries trade more with developed countries of Europe than they trade among themselves leading to insignificant intra-regional trade. Thus, globalization facilitates the disintegration of regional integration arrangements in West Africa. The study recommended infrastructural development within the subregion, subsidies for small and medium scale industries to make them competitive and the involvement of the private sector in the gamut of regional integration initiative within the subregion.

Keywords: Liberalisation; WTO; integration; Third World