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Paper short abstract

This paper analyzes the proposed ECO currency as a geopolitical strategy reshaping aid and development in West Africa. Using macroeconomic data from 2019–2023, it examines asymmetries, external influence, and the potential of monetary integration to enhance strategic autonomy by 2027.

Paper long abstract

This paper examines how geopolitical shifts in the Global South are reshaping the future of aid through the lens of monetary sovereignty and regional integration, focusing on the case of the proposed ECO currency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Building on an analysis of regional macroeconomic indicators between 2019 and 2023, the study identifies structural asymmetries between stronger and more vulnerable economies and assesses their implications for future convergence scenarios projected toward 2027. The paper situates the ECO initiative within broader debates on decolonial development, contested futures, and strategic autonomy, highlighting how monetary integration is increasingly framed not only as an economic project but also as a geopolitical strategy. Particular attention is paid to external power relations—most notably the continued influence of France—and to the challenges of convertibility, institutional capacity, and political consensus.

The central argument advanced is that, despite significant obstacles, the ECO has the potential to recalibrate aid dependencies and strengthen intra-regional cooperation, provided that robust monetary institutions and shared political commitments are established. By linking regional monetary reform to global debates on the future of aid, the paper contributes to critical reflections on how emerging forms of agency in the Global South are reshaping development in an era of systemic uncertainty.