2012 ANNUAL REPORT ″Integration and Political Stability in West Africa″ Abuja, December 2012 ECOWAS 2012 annual Report Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................... 4 LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................................................... 9 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ECOWAS COMMISSION ...................................................................... 10 PRESIDENT ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... 15 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 31 CHAPTER I: RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS IN WEST AFRICA ..................................................................... 34 1.1 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................. 34 1.2 GROWTH OF THE AFRICAN ECONOMY .................................................................................................................... 37 1.3 THE WEST AFRICAN ECONOMIES .......................................................................................................................... 39 1.3.1. Economic growth ......................................................................................................................... 39 1.3.2. Inflation ........................................................................................................................................ 40 1.3.3. Fiscal deficit .................................................................................................................................. 41 1.3.4. External balance ........................................................................................................................... 42 1.4 REVIEW OF ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND REFORMS IN ECOWAS MEMBER COUNTRIES .............................................. 43 CHAPTER II: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY WORK PROGRAMME ...................................................... 50 2.1.1 Multilateral Surveillance ....................................................................................................................... 50 2.1.2 Private Sector Promotion....................................................................................................................... 52 Investment & Promotion Services Division ..................................................................................................... 52 2.1.3 Research and Statistics .......................................................................................................................... 53 2.1.4 Community Development Programme (CDP) ........................................................................................ 55 2.1.5 Economic Policy Analysis Unit (EPAU) .................................................................................................... 56 2.2. TRADE, CUSTOMS, INDUSTRY, MINES, FREE MOVEMENT AND TOURISM ...................................................................... 57 2.2.1 Trade ..................................................................................................................................................... 57 2.2.2 Customs ................................................................................................................................................. 60 2.2.3 Industry and Mines ................................................................................................................................ 62 2.2.4 Free Movement of Persons .................................................................................................................... 62 2.3 AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND WATER RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 63 2.3.1 Agricultural Development ..................................................................................................................... 63 2.3.2 Environment .......................................................................................................................................... 67 2.3.3 Water resources .................................................................................................................................... 69 2.4 INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................... 70 2.4.1 Transport, Communication and ICT, ...................................................................................................... 70 LAND TRANSPORT .............................................................................................................................................. 70 - ROAD SECTOR ................................................................................................................................................... 70 AIR TRANSPORT SUB-SECTOR ............................................................................................................................. 71 TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMME.............................................................................................................. 72 - REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................ 72 - HARMONIZATION OF POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ..................................................................................... 72 2.4.2 Energy .................................................................................................................................................... 73 2.5. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 76 2.5.1 Social and Humanitarian Affairs ............................................................................................................ 76 2.5.2 Gender, Child Development, Youth/Sports, Civil Society, Employment and Drug Control..................... 77 2.5.3 ECOWAS Gender Development Centre .................................................................................................. 79 2.5.4 Education, Culture, Science and Technology ......................................................................................... 81 ECOWAS Commission 2012 ECOWAS 2012 annual Report Page 3 2.5.5 ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre .................................................................................. 82 2.5.6 Malaria Elimination Programme ........................................................................................................... 84 2.6. POLITICAL AFFAIRS, REGIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY ................................................................................................ 85 2.6.1 Political Affairs ...................................................................................................................................... 85 2.6.2 Early Warning ........................................................................................................................................ 87 2.6.3 Peacekeeping and Regional Security ..................................................................................................... 87 2.7. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) ........................................................................................ 88 2.8 LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL MATTER ...................................................................................................................... 89 2.8.1 Legal Affairs ........................................................................................................................................... 89 2.8.2 Strategic Planning ................................................................................................................................. 90 2.8.3 Monitoring and Evaluation System ....................................................................................................... 91 2.8.4 External Relations .................................................................................................................................. 92 2.8.5 Communication ..................................................................................................................................... 94 2.8.6 Community levy ..................................................................................................................................... 95 2.8.7 Institutional Reforms ............................................................................................................................. 96 CHAPTER III: INTEGRATION AND POLITICAL SATBILITY IN WEST AFRICA ............................................................. 98 3.1 STATE OF GOVERNANCE IN ECOWAS MEMBER STATES ...........................................................................................