The ECOWAS Parliament has endorsed the introduction of sanctions against member states that fail to implement regional trade agreements, warning that persistent violations of economic protocols are frustrating West Africa’s integration agenda and undermining the region’s vast economic potential.
Lawmakers said continued non-compliance with agreements on the free movement of people, goods and services has weakened intra-regional trade, increased the cost of doing business and denied millions of small and medium-sized enterprises access to opportunities within the ECOWAS market.
The position emerged during a delocalised meeting of the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, Administration, Finance and Budget, and Public Accounts in Cotonou, where legislators and stakeholders examined strategies to deepen regional commerce, strengthen private sector participation and eliminate barriers to cross-border trade.
The call for stronger enforcement was first advanced by Dr. Tony Elumelu of the ECOWAS Business Council Secretariat, who argued that sanctions had become necessary to compel member states to honour their regional commitments and accelerate economic integration.
Backing the proposal, Nigerian lawmaker, Hon. Bashiru Dawodu, said West Africa could no longer afford to operate as fragmented economies despite its estimated 400 million population and enormous market potential.
According to him, ECOWAS possesses the demographic and economic strength to become one of the world’s most competitive regional markets, but inconsistent implementation of agreed protocols continues to hold the bloc back.
“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.”
He stressed that effective implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and other regional protocols remains essential to unlocking economic transformation, expanding trade and creating opportunities for businesses across the sub-region.
Established in 1975, ECOWAS was created to promote regional economic integration through free movement of people, goods and services, the right of residence and establishment, and trade liberalisation measures designed to create a common market.
However, nearly five decades later, traders and businesses continue to contend with multiple border checkpoints, delays, unofficial levies, movement restrictions and inconsistent enforcement of regional agreements by member states.
Stakeholders said these bottlenecks have continued to suppress intra-regional trade, which remains significantly below its potential compared to other regional economic blocs.
Dawodu also expressed concern over the dominance of the informal sector across West Africa, noting that millions of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) remain excluded from formal financial systems and regional value chains.
He argued that integrating small businesses into the formal economy would improve access to finance, enhance productivity and enable them to compete more effectively in regional markets.
“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 expanding financing opportunities, improving infrastructure and facilitating the movement of goods and services were critical to increasing the participation of MSMEs in regional trade.
“We need better integration of goods and services, adequate financing for small-scale businesses and improved infrastructure,” he added.
Also speaking, Liberian parliamentarian Hon. Taa Wongbe called for stronger political commitment from ECOWAS governments to fully implement agreements already adopted by the regional bloc.
He lamented that traders and ordinary citizens continue to experience the same border challenges that existed decades ago despite repeated commitments to promote free movement across West Africa.
Recalling childhood journeys from Liberia through neighbouring countries, Wongbe said little had changed for travellers and cross-border traders.
“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.”
He proposed the establishment of a parliamentary committee to visit border communities across the region and experience firsthand the challenges confronting traders and travellers.
According to him, such fact-finding missions would strengthen the Parliament’s engagement with national governments and increase pressure for the removal of unnecessary trade 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.
Wongbe warned that persistent roadblocks, multiple taxation and administrative bottlenecks along major trade corridors continue to inflate transportation costs, raise the prices of goods and services and worsen economic hardship across the region.
The renewed push by the ECOWAS Parliament comes as West African governments confront rising unemployment, poverty, food insecurity and insecurity, with policymakers increasingly viewing deeper regional integration as a key driver of economic growth.
Stakeholders at the meeting maintained that a fully integrated ECOWAS market would unlock significant opportunities for businesses, create millions of jobs and enhance the region’s global competitiveness. They, however, cautioned that achieving that vision would require member states to move beyond political commitments and ensure full compliance with regional agreements through effective enforcement mechanisms.
