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"Peace is Indispensable for Economic
Development"
After years of suffering from the devastating effects of conflict and poor governance, West Africa's 245 million people at last have a fragile hope for a more prosperous future, says The World Bank. Democratic Nigeria is embarking on a process of economic reform and poverty reduction, and some of West Africa's most intractable trouble spots-Liberia and Sierra Leone-are beginning to recover from years of conflict.
If these positive trends continue, and if Cote d'Ivoire resolves its current impasse, there can be a basis for optimism in a region too long associated with violence, bad governance and stagnation.
Improving the region's prospects to capitalize on this new-found chance at stability was at the top of the agenda of leaders who gathered recently in Ghana for a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
ECOWAS played an important role in resolving some of the political crises in countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone and is now a focal point for hopes of an increased level of integration in the region based on initiatives being promoted by the New Partnership for Africa's Development" NEPAD"
West African heads of state and government, met with World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn, and set out an agenda for accelerating integration of the 15 still fragmented ECOWAS member states.
The West African leaders called for three priority areas of activity:
" To push toward the establishment of a free trade area and customs union by the end of 2007;
By: Ndeloa Njualem Columbus
Cont'd in the current issue
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