ASSESSING NIGERIA'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF WESTAFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)

Abstract

The socio-economic and political contributions of Nigeria in
ECOWAS has enormous relevance in the areas of regional trade
and democratic dispensation. Over the years, Nigeria has
demonstrated its hegemony in the peacekeeping and economic
stability in West Africa through ECOWAS. Yet ECOWAS is facing a
myriad of security and economic issues that threaten to shake the
region's relative stability and economic progress. The challenges
range from terrorism and violent extremism, to piracy, political
instability, elections-related violence, drug trafficking or deadly
health issues. The study adopted focus group discussion with
members of the ministry of foreign affairs and embassy staff as the
basic method used in data collection. The study used purposive
sampling technique to select research participants in equal
representation of male and female, amount the staff form the focus
group discussion. This revealed that in order to Nigerian approach
on socio political economic development contribute to West African
state, Nigeria as a hegemon in ECOWAS has played the role of
regional stabilizer based on its leadership ability in enforcing
ECOWAS programs and policies while remains state or Nations is a
shining light in ECOWAS due to its steady democratic process
which started from 1966 election, Nigerian government
contribution to the development African state particularly
emphasized of west Africa through economic community of west
African state, ECOWAS. In the area of economic, security, politics
and training retraining for the development of West African state.
The paper recommended that Nigerian government should
formulate a foreign policy that enhances the both human and food security measures to recover economic development to ECOWAS
member states to establish modern agricultural programmes such
as the irrigation farming.