Rise of a Regional Institution in Africa

<p>This book focuses on the ECOWAS Commission both as an autonomous actor as well as a policy-making nexus for its member states and external actors. </p><p>Drawing from a variety of never-before analyzed sources unpublished internal documents and over 120 interviews with staff from the ECOWAS Commission its member states and external actors supporting the organization this book presents a comprehensive portrait of ECOWAS’s institutional capabilities challenges and reforms. It utilizes a policy studies approach focusing on the areas of political affairs peace and regional security as well as trade and customs to illustrate concrete cases of policy making. In doing so the book provides practice-oriented insights into the policy-making agency within the organization arguing for the significance of the ECOWAS Commission as an actor. </p><p>This book will be of interest to scholars and students of West Africa and its international relations comparative regionalism international organization studies development studies policy-making peace and conflict studies governance and more broadly to African politics and international relations.</p>