Between 2005 and 2010, officially registered remittances from emigrants to ECOWAS countries increased, on average, by more than 8% per year to nearly USD 23 billion in 2010. This is twice the amount of foreign investment and 5% of the regional GDP. Nigeria alone accounts for 86% of these inflows. Read on

Cotonou is getting ready to host the 5th UEMOA Regional Trade Fair, which aims to foster more economic integration within the UEMOA. From 25 November until 10 December, some 400 exhibition stands will attract visitors’ interests and promote their products under the “Made in UEMOA” label. Read on

In this op-ed, Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria, responds to concerns about Africa's capacity grow economically, by presenting the project he is currently implementing in his country. He said it is time for African countries to lay the foundation for a development that transforms people’s lives and frees them from their dependence on raw materials. The country faces a threatening recession, so its path towards inclusive growth is still long. However, Nigeria’s challenges are not the most important factor, but it is the fact that Nigeria now knows its weaknesses and knows the direction it should it take to make the country’s emergence a reality. Read on

West African finance ministers met in Dakar on 15-16 August during the 18th meeting of the joint ECOWAS-UEMOA Committee on the management of the Common External Tariff (CET). The objective of the meeting was to discuss two major concerns: the regional economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union and the implications for the ECOWAS Common External Tariff. Read on