Challenges of ECOWAS on Governance and Democratic Consolidation in West Africa Sub-Region

Abstract

In the wake of ECOWAS 50th anniversary celebrations in May 2025, it has become pertinent to ask; how has the organization faired in its goal of promoting good governance and democratization within its member countries? This paper sets out to interrogate this issue, in the light of claims by ECOWAS to have made efforts at consolidating democracy in the subregion. This is even more urgent because of the challenges posed to ECOWAS and its operating philosophy by coup plotters who have seized power in Burkina F, Faso, Mali and Niger and the inability of ECOWAS to reign them in. They present a formidable threat to ECOWAS, whom they accuse of weakness in the face of external threats and of being undemocratic. This research adopted the qualitative approach to analyze predominantly secondary date used in this study. The paper also employed the theory of functionalism in interrogating the claims and counter claims of both ECOWAS and the emerging Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to democracy, authenticity and effective representation of the people of West Africa. This paper argues that democracy and representation must go beyond conforming to extant structures and international expectations to represent the desires and aspirations of the people. It argues further that ECOWAS leaders do not have the moral right to impose sanctions on the coup plotters and their governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger when they can hardly address the governance crisis in their own states. This paper recommends that ECOWAS leaders must have the ‘will power’ to lead by example in enforcing democratic norms
and principles. ECOWAS must also employ dialogue, diplomacy and tacit enforcement of rules rather than threat, in navigating the current crisis facing the sub regional block, if it hopes to succeed.