Paper short abstract:

The paper reviewed extant literature on integration theory and interrogates identified divergent bulges in regional instabilities, weak institutional capacities, poor infrastructure and emerging transnational insecurities; and how this impacts on ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme.

Paper long abstract:

Inspired by the model of European Union, integration was largely envisioned as a mechanism for promoting socio-economic growth, security and cooperation in Africa, which have been elusive overtime due to poverty and intractable conflicts. ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLs), is a trade instrument that abolishes restriction on goods, which originates from Member States, with the grant of import duty waivers and concessions. While studies have centred on free movement of persons, little is explored beyond the policy document on the practicalities in place to encourage duty-free trade between The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) countries. This paper questions the gaps in the ETLs free trade arrangement, how will ECOWAS boost assurances to drive the process and what realistically can be done to promote unhindered formal and informal trade at the operational levels of cross-border blockage. An inter-disciplinary method that combine primary and secondary sources of data collection from field research is adopted to examine the conflicting trends. The paper reviewed extant literature on integration theory and interrogates identified divergent bulges in regional instabilities, weak institutional capacities, poor infrastructure and emerging transnational insecurities. Deepening intra-ECOWAS trade is potentially feasible, if attendant asymmetries are addressed through enhanced and collaborative operational strategies of good border management.