The Economic Community of West African States

This report considers the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. More specifically it focuses on one of ECOWAS’ central objectives: the facilitation of free movement in the region. In the following, the foundation and protocols of ECOWAS, everyday mobility in the region and colonial legacies of mobility governance are introduced. Then problems with the implementation of its treaties and protocols are discussed, before ECOWAS in relation to the EU is considered, including issues of capacity-building, bilateral policies undermining free movement. The report ends with a discussion on future directions of EU-ECOWAS relations.