Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Official website: http://www.ecowas.int

ECOWAS in Brief

The Economic Community Of West  African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded in  1975. Its mission is to promote economic integration in "all fields of economic activity, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial questions, social and cultural matters ....."

The Institutions of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) are as follows:

• The Commission
• The Community Parliament
• The Community Court OF Justice
• ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)

The ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, more often called The Fund are its two main institutions designed to implement  policies, pursue a number of programmes and carry out development projects in  Member States. Such projects include intra-community road construction and  telecommunications; and agricultural, energy and water resources development.