The Post-ECOWAS Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger’s withdrawal from ECOWAS, focusing on the economic, political, and social implications. It delves into the historical and political context of their membership and exit, highlighting tensions between ECOWAS’s initial goals and current political realities, leading to economic sanctions. Utilizing a qualitative methodology and diverse secondary sources, the research uncovers potential challenges such as trade disruptions and effects on monetary and fiscal policies, alongside opportunities for new partnerships, economic autonomy, and market exploration. Insights from comparisons with other economic union withdrawals, like Brexit, elucidate the consequences of such decisions. This withdrawal is depicted as a pivotal event with profound, multifaceted implications for West Africa’s regional economy, presenting significant challenges but also unique opportunities for reshaping economic and political relations. The study underscores the need for strategic adjustments at national and regional levels and suggests future research to assess microeconomic impacts and the effects of new economic alliances and trade agreements.

Keywords: Withdrawal; ECOWAS; AES; Burkina Faso; Mali; Niger.

Classification JEL : E00 ; E02 ; E42 ; F02

Paper type : Empirical recherch