CONVERGING PRACTICES AND GOVERNACE IN WEST AFRICA: EXAMINING REGIONAL CONVERGENCE IN THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES by Emmanuel A. Balogun A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science and International Relations Spring 2017 © 2017 Emmanuel A. Balogun All Rights Reserved CONVERGING PRACTICES AND GOVERNACE IN WEST AFRICA: EXAMINING REGIONAL CONVERGENCE IN THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES by Emmanuel A. Balogun Approved: __________________________________________________________ David P. Redlawsk, Ph.D Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations Approved: __________________________________________________________ George H. Watson, Ph.D Dean of the College of Arts and Science Approved: __________________________________________________________ Ann L. Ardis, Ph.D. Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Gretchen Bauer, Ph.D Professor in charge of dissertation I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Alice D. Ba, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Minion K.C. Morrison, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Timothy M. Shaw, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to several people who helped mold and shape not only this project, but also me as a scholar and educator. First, I thank my committee for their patience, their guidance, and their belief in this project. I thank Dr. Timothy Shaw for the honor of being one of the hundreds of Ph.D. students across the world that he has advised during his long, decorated career advancing the scholarship of Africa and shaping regionalism discourse. Dr. Minion K.C. Morrison, you have been immensely valuable through your candor and mentorship, which I look forward to continuing and building throughout the years. Thank you for your willingness to jump in on this project at a moment’s notice. Dr. Alice Ba, you have been my mentor and a tremendous source of support since I arrived at UD. I thank you for taking an active interest in my work from the start (enough to co-author with me), spending countless hours and years translating the ideas in my brain into words and thoughts on paper, and for always being my voice of reason. I truly could not have gotten this far without our personal and professional relationship, and I cannot thank you enough for the hand your work and you personally had in shaping my scholarship. Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of my Chair, Dr. Gretchen Bauer. Along with Dr. Ba, you were the reason I chose to study at Delaware. From the day I found out you were my faculty advisor, you have been one of my biggest advocates. I remember coming to you during my first week of graduate school and telling you what my five- year plan was, and instead of looking at me like I was crazy, you went in head first and by the end of that week, you sent five introduction emails to your colleagues that iv had similar interests as me. Your mentorship and our personal relationship has been something I have relied on and your passion for Africa has been infectious. I thank you deeply for keeping my passion for Africa at the forefront of my scholarship and teaching, inspiring me with your scholarship and experiences on the continent, and your dedication to making sure I have had any and every opportunity to succeed as a scholar. You have been such an important part of my life and I look forward to being your colleague. I am grateful for the support and generosity of the ECOWAS Commission, particularly Steve Onuwuka, Head of Protocol at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Onuwuka’s assistant Abdul, the entire Political and Peace and Security Commission of ECOWAS for their time and generosity and Hyacenth Okwu, Vice President of the Finance Directorate at the ECOWAS Commission. I am also indebted to the entire staff at the ECOWAS Library and Archives, who were extremely helpful in helping me dig out obscure archives. My research in West Africa would not have been possible without the help of Adekunle Fatokun, who acted as my advocate before I set foot on the continent, helping to arrange access to ECOWAS and other regional stakeholders and who took a month out of work to help me navigate Nigeria safely. I also thank Alimou Diallo at WANEP and Monthe B. Biyoudi at the World Bank West African Regional Integration Program for their help in getting into villages to see the work of regional organizations at the most local levels. I also want to thank Dr. David C. Wilson, Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at UD for being a spectacular mentor, contributing to my professional development as a political scientist, and always looking out for me, even when I did not know I needed it. I thank Karin Heffernan, for encouraging me eight v years ago to pursue my passion of teaching. I am indebted to the faculty at UD, particularly Professors Kara Ellerby, Jenny Lobasz, Matthew Weinert, and Ted Davis for their early feedback on various iterations of this work and Claire Rasmussen for helping to secure research funds and supporting my teaching experience. I also thank Dr. James Magee, for setting a great example of how to be a professor. Lastly, I thank my parents, Rita and Kazeem/Mary Ellen and Vincent, my sisters, Shanaye and Elizabeth, and my graduate school support system Samantha Kelley, Sahar Salehi, and Steve Nkurlu for your constant support throughout every phase of the program. I could not do it without your push! I dedicate this dissertation to three special people. To my brother, Abraham: I hope this inspires you to achieve all you can and want in life. To the late Dr. Elaine Salo, who served on this dissertation committee, was a source of constant positivity on my march to academia, and whose work and life was profoundly inspiring and powerful. Lastly, I dedicate this dissertation to my wife, Lauren. Thank you for the love, support, and for giving me something to look forward to at the beginning and end of each day. You have been a rock for our family and I am eternally grateful. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... xi ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. xii Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 Key Questions .................................................................................................... 5 Regional Convergence in Africa ...................................................................... 12 Conceptual Framework .................................................................................... 14 Comparative Regionalism .......................................................................... 15 Organizational Theory ................................................................................ 18 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 20 Case Selection: ................................................................................................. 26 Regional Convergence in Peace and Security ............................................ 28 Regional Convergence in Public Health ..................................................... 29 Regional Convergence in Finance .............................................................. 32 Data Collection and Sources ............................................................................ 34 2 CONCEPTULIZING REGIONAL CONVERGENCE: A FRAMEWORK ... 37 Logic of Practicality: Region Building as a Process ........................................ 47 Pan-African Resurgence ................................................................................... 52 Domestic Conditions ........................................................................................ 57 Regime-Boosting and Shadow Regionalism .................................................... 61 The Role of Governance ................................................................................... 65 Regional regime symmetry in ECOWAS ......................................................... 67 Declaration of Political Principles