Transcript The New Strategic Approaches to Integration and

The New Strategic Approaches to
Integration and Development in the
ECOWAS Region: Towards Securing the
Future
Olutayo, A.O. PhD[1]., Olutayo, M.A.O. Ph.D[2]. & Akanle, Olayinka[3].
Department of Sociology,
Faculty of the Social Sciences,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
And Department of Political Science,
Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria
E-mails: [email protected], [email protected].
Telephone No: +234-8034006287, Telephone No: +234-8028492216
[1] Senior Lecturer (Reader), Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
[2] Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria.
[3] Doctoral Candidate, Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Introduction and Background
Regional Integration has become a unique and distinctive
characteristic of development efforts of nations in the recent
years.
it is now considered an essential driver for political stability,
sustainable development and poverty eradication (Tywuschik
and Colin, 2009; Briet, 2010).
Given their proven capacities to drive development across
domains therefore, the numbers of regional integrations have
increased tremendously and efforts are being renewed to
ensure appropriation of opportunities associated.
The effects of trends and globalization on this is definitive
since it is today impossible for nations to avoid both
globalization complications and opportunities especially in
relation to the past, present and future of nations and regions.
It would then be correct to maintain that regional integrations
are today the norms rather than the exceptions.
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Introduction and Background Contd
Experiences suggest that better attention from stakeholders
should be accorded regional integrations than it has ever been
given as it offers more opportunities just as it presents
formidable challenges that could compromise the objectives.
If well managed, the opportunities of integration are robust
and promising enough to neutralize the challenges and justify
positive interventions.
Integration in the ECOWAS region, particularly, if well
implemented and dynamized therefore could lead to
institutionalization with interdependence that would ensure
cooperation, liberalizations schemes, high level interregional
trades, positive capital flows, harmonized economic and
financial policies and economic growth.
This will lead to encouraged oneness of motives towards equal
development of all integrating actors in the region and this will
ultimately jump start human development in the region.
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Regional Integration and the Development Process
Definition of Regional Integration.
Proliferation of Regional Integration in the 21st Century.
It is the process of large-scale territorial differentiation
characterized by the progressive lowering of national/internal
boundaries and the possible raising of new external boundaries
for the benefits of integrating states to protect integration
agenda of the region.
An important element of integration is that it is voluntary and
the level of integration is variable and context as well as
situation specific/dependent.
Key ingredients of regional integration are cooperation,
coordination, conflict and independence.
To integrate positively, nations who are members must decide
whole-heartedly in principle and practice to cooperate with
regional mandates of the institutions and coordinate their
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activities to align with the purpose of the integrating whole.
Regional Integration and the Development Process
Contd.
There is certainly a place for conflict.
Conflicts are necessarily inevitable among integrating states.
Conflict can however point to the way of the future and
become the important change agent.
Regional integration does not mean colonization, states still
retain their independence and their sovereignty must be
respected regardless of the degree of integration.
Regional Integration must be able to evolve strategies and
frameworks to accommodate shocks and still achieve ultimate
goal.
This is why regional integration is often considered as a
process rather than a state.
The overall goal of ECOWAS regional integration drives is to
form an economic bloc organized around an economic and
monetary union.
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Regional Integration and the Development
Process Contd.
Regional Integration is to promote cooperation
and integration in order to create an economic
and monetary union to encourage growth and
development in the West Africa.
Ultimately, ECOWAS regional integration is
to guarantee sustainable development in the
region.
Discussion on development
The linkage between Regional Integration and
Development
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ECOWAS and Regional Integration in West Africa
through Methodological Frameworks
Analysis of The System of Indicators of Regional Integration
(SIRI): The Best Key Variables of Complexity in Regional
Integration (RI) Arrangements and The Order of
Focusing/Measures of Success.
The SIRI is useful for systematically explaining integration
elements and processes of regions.
The SIRI utilized objective indicators to examine regional
integration issues like those raise in this paper.
The System of Indicators of Regional Integration (SIRI): The
Best Key Variables of Complexity in Regional Integration (RI)
Arrangements and The Order of Focusing/Measures of
Success therefore utilized in the analysis in this presentation.
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ECOWAS and Regional Integration in West Africa
through Methodological Frameworks
The two frameworks were adopted simultaneously in
explaining, measuring and illuminating integration in the
ECOWAS region.
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ECOWAS and Regional Integration in West Africa
through Methodological Frameworks
The Best Key Variables of Complexity in RI Arrangements
(Best, 1997). Project.
Order of Focusing, Effects and Measures of Success (De
Lombaerde and Van Langenhove, 2005). Project.
From The Best Key Variables of Complexity in Regional
Integration (RI) Arrangements and The Order of
Focusing/Measures of Success.
many factors and forces involved in regional integration
present complexities that must be coped with to achieve
integration and results.
These forces are also largely dynamic with changing
characteristics.
This is why integration has the capacity to graduate from states
to processes.
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Conclusion
The ECOWAS region face particularly challenging
development situation today after they have been hit hard by
the food crisis, financial and economic crisis and climate
change (Marti, 2010).
A search for development must therefore be total, aggressive
and these efforts must include regional integration to be
promising.
The nexus between regional integration and development is
crucial and must be the overarching element of ECOWAS
master plans.
The need to focus on motivations and socio-psychological
imperatives of members states has been emphasized in this
presentation.
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Conclusion Contd
Even though economic considerations are attended to, these
must not be reified and are bound to be counter productive if
social and psychological capitals are ignored.
Disregard of these have been manifested in the ECOWAS
poor integration and weak development.
According to social integration theory, societies/nations have
inbuilt propensity to integrate and relate with others.
Like humans, nations are social entities whose well being
depend on affiliation and integration with one another.
Integration gives purpose and meanings to national life and
lack of it gives the feeling of ‘excessive and dangerous
individualism’ in Durkheimian sense especially in the age of
globalization.
Lack of integration thus carries negative development cost for
nations whose region could mobilize for in the face of survival
threats that are endemic in the 21st century.
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Conclusion Contd
In-built integration propensity of nations however must be
total according to social integration theory.
It must include appropriation of domestic/internal trajectories
like culture, values, ethics, ethos, motivations and sociopsychology as a complex integration whole.
Prioritizing and annexing socio-psychological imperatives will
build sense of ownership of regional integration agenda in the
minds of integrating states and this is very necessary for
successful regional integration.
This will build trust, negate negative mutual suspicion and
stimulate positive motivations.
This will be through national socio-cultural national
institutionalization ties strengthening to address common
challenges among equals in partnerships.
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Conclusion Contd
This is the new strategic approach and road map to regional
integration because national socio-psychology and mind sets
appropriation are certainly pivotal forces of any integration
strategy.
It is then possible to wonder why this has taking some time to
be appreciated and annexed hitherto.
A crucial reason is large scale approaches complications and
misplacements as well as regrettable detachment of the
regional organization and the member states from core
stakeholders in the regional integration and development
marketplace.
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Conclusion Contd
The social-psychological approach to integration was least
valued because of excessive attention to trade and economic
goals just as ECOWAS and member states rarely consulted
with their citizens, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non
Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Faith Based
Organizations (FBOs), Trade Unions, private sectors and the
academic community who could appreciate these dynamics.
This is regardless of the critical capacity gaps of diplomats and
politicians in marshalling workable integration and
development agenda in the region.
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We Appreciate You.
Thank you for your time and attention
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