The Role of Regional Parliaments in Economic Integration: A Study of the ECOWAS Parliament
Thesis
Countries of the world including the industrialised economies, such as United State of America, Germany etc. have sought to come under one form of regional integration or the other, the goal is to achieve regional economic integration. In Africa, such attempts also include that of ECOWAS, which is a bold attempt by West African countries to engender economic integration within the region. This work examines how ECOWAS Parliament has fared in bringing about economic integration within the West African sub-region, and the efforts being made to make it a truly representative body with full legislative powers. Secondary data were collected from Nigerian Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies library, National Assembly Library, ECOWAS Library, journals, resolutions and declaration of international organisations, speeches of political dignitaries and the internet. These were analysed using content analysis and subjected to David Mitrany’s Integration Theory. From the findings, the ECOWAS Parliament has made giant strides in engendering economic integration in the sub region, through advocacy for prevention and early management of conflicts, ratification of treaties and resolutions, strengthening democracy and good governance and encouraging sustained human development. All these are geared towards encouraging free movement of persons, labour and goods, capital flows, common currency, etc. This is despite the fact that the Parliament lacks actual legislative power of law making, oversight and representation, and being seriously challenged by a plethora of issues such as language barrier, the quest to protect the sovereignty of member states, lack of adequate infrastructure, external debts, xenophobia, external interference, non-involvement of CSOs, private sector and mass movements in the economic integration efforts, etc. The study recommends that the Parliament should strengthened by assuming full legislative powers, integration of the Parliament into main stream decision making for peace and improved economy, strengthened interactions between the Parliament and National Parliaments, severing attachments to the colonialists, amongst others. Real integration can only be achieved when the sub region is united in words and actions and full legislative autonomy is given to the Parliament.