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6 Ways a Union of West African States Would Benefit All Black People

ECOWAS-StatesThe Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded in 1975. Its mission is to promote economic integration in all fields of economic activity, including transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial questions, social and cultural matters. The member states are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

According to Desire Ouedraogo, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, the organization’s  intermediate goal is to realize the 2020 vision of moving from an “ECOWAS of states to an ECOWAS of people’’ within a single prosperous economic space in which the people transact business and live in dignity and peace under the rule of law and good governance.

Based on the stated objective, we have outlined several ways in which ECOWAS could transform itself into a global superpower for the interest of African people at home and in the Diaspora.

Unite to Create a Black Superpower

 Nigerian author Chinweizu in his Black Power Pan-Africanism (BPPA) Manifesto wrote: “A Black superpower in Africa is the key factor for restoring global respect and self-respect to the Black race; therefore, building this superpower is our paramount project. For, as Marcus Garvey taught us, A race without authority and power is a race without respect.”

With a population of over 300 million people and a geographical land mass of almost 2 million square miles, a political union of ECOWAS member states or  “The New Songhai Republic” would have as many people as the United States and a larger land mass than the European Union or India.

Another Black superpower could also be created out of the territory and population of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with 277 million people and a land mass larger than the entire United States – including all territories.

What people are saying

13 thoughts on “6 Ways a Union of West African States Would Benefit All Black People

  1. Monie Joye says:

    Sign me up!

  2. Ali McBride says:

    Sign me up as well Monie Joye! Every point made in this piece is has addressed every issue that plagues our community and definitively gives perspective regarding action in what we should do and where we need to be. As as Marcus Garvey stated, if we don't do what other nations are doing to be relevant, then we should die…

  3. Shelley Wright says:

    Yes! Shared with everyone I know…

  4. i dont know if imitating white european nations is really something black people should be doing. Why would we want to imitate the countries known to exploit, colonize, and oppress. No thanks.

  5. this should apply to the whole continent for we all facing the same issues. @ taylor raquel carr, its not actually imitating the other so called big nations but reclaiming our stance we were one in the olden days and re-living as were living in those days economy, education, religions and all aspects of living

  6. Sam Derchie says:

    My wish is to live to see that day, the day Africans shall learn to speak a common African language, that day will mark the beginning of a true UNITY………it can be done with less consideration to imaginary colonial boundaries

  7. Garnett Elenin Melanin says:

    It is important to understand that these fruits will not be realized in our times. I feel one of the biggest obstacles to moving our populations forward in the same direction with the same goals is the desire for immediate satisfaction. We should go about this revolution with the desire to have the future generations benefit from our sturggles. Peace is a heirloom for our progeny. We should fix our gaze on war, bloodshed and hardship. If we can develop a love for these things, we will rule ourselves again.

  8. Taylor Raquel Carr I dont think that was his point miss. He meant defend your freedom or die.

  9. Sir I was thinking the same thing. What language do you suggest we make the official language or do you think we should create one from scratch?

  10. Sam Derchie says:

    George, starting from scratch….? Africa is abound with deep rich languages we can start with kiswahili the most widely spoken and incorporate some elements of all the rest.

  11. Ali McBride says:

    Taylor Raquel Carr Why would initiating European nations be the first thing to come to your mind regarding being a relevant nation? I did quote Marcus Garvey, who of course was a student of Hubert Harrison and Arturo Schomburg, whom both had an understanding of foreign policy and wouldn't be referring to Africans colonizing or oppressing folk. Key word should have been Marcus Garvey and key statement should have come from the title "…a union of West African States."

  12. Ali McBride "as Marcus Garvey stated, if we don't do what other nations are doing to be relevant, then we should die." well like the professor told bobby bouche in waterboy, marcus garvey wrong Ali, marcus garvey wrong. lol What other nations did to be relevant, is enslave oppress and colonize. They gained power by dehumanizing populations for cheap and free labor and every superpower today maintains there power by disenfranchising black and brown people so they are forced to work for low wages while they pocket profit. Maybe what garvey should have suggested is what Assata shakur and many black revolutionaries have suggested which is that instead of continuing racial capitalism maybe we should tear it down and build a system that works better for all of us and that doesnt privilege profit over people sir.

  13. Relevant nations such as Brazil who's discussed as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, what are they doing over there to be relevant? Check out what the lives of black and brown poor look like there. The nation states pockets maybe growing but just know that in order for the profit to be made a select large portion of the population must be exploited and terrorized. Just like they are doing the people in New Guinea as their economy grows because of the states contracts with exon and such.

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