Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - Comparison with other Regional blocs, Executive Secretaries, Chairmen

An organization formed in 1975 by 15 W African signatories to the Treaty of Lagos: Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso); Cape Verde joined in 1977; Mauritania left in 2002. Its principal objectives are the ending of restrictions on trade, the establishment of a common customs tariff, the harmonization of economic and industrial policies, and the elimination of differences in the level of development of member states.

ECOWAS

ECOWAS Headquarters	Abuja, Nigeria
Largest cities	Lagos, Abidjan, Dakar
Member states	15
Official languages	French, English
Presidencies
Current President	Tandja Mamadou of Niger
Formation of ECOWAS  - Signed  - Enforced	Treaty of Lagos.  - May 28 1975  -
Statistics
Area  - Total	7th if ranked 5,112,903 km² 1,5352,86 sq mi
Population  - Total (2006)  - Density	4th if ranked 251,646,263 115.6 people/km² 299.4 people/sq mi
GDP (PPP, 2005) 1,361  - Per capita	28th if ranked 342,519 million $7,890
Other information
Currencies	Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) Cedi (GHC)11 Dalasi (GMD)11 Guinean franc (GNF)11 Liberian dollar (LRD)12 Naira (NGN)11 Leone (SLL)11 West African CFA franc (XOF)
Time zone	UTC 0 to +2
Calling codes	Not standardized
Official Website	http://www.ecowas.info
11 to be replaced by the eco in 2009 12 Libera has expressed an interest in joining the eco

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group initially of sixteen countries, founded on May 28, 1975 when sixteen West African countries signed the Treaty of Lagos.

See also: ECOMOG

Comparison with other Regional blocs

Executive Secretaries

Aboubakar Diaby Ouattara (Côte d'Ivoire) January 1977 - 1985 Momodu Munu (Sierra Leone) 1985 - 1989 Abass Bundu (Sierra Leone) 1989 - 1993 Edouard Benjamin (Guinea) 1993 - 1997 Lansana Kouyate (Nigeria) September 1997 - 31 January 2002 Mohamed Ibn Chambas (Ghana) 1 February 2002 - Present

Chairmen

Gnassingbé Eyadéma (Togo) 1977 – 1978 Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria) 1978 – 1979 Léopold Sédar Senghor (Senegal) 1979 – 1980 Gnassingbé Eyadéma (Togo) 1980 – 1981 Siaka Stevens (Sierra Leone) 1981 – 1982 Mathieu Kérékou (Benin) 1982 – 1983 Ahmed Sékou Touré (Guinea) 1983 – 1984 Lansana Conté (Guinea) 1984 – 1985 Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria) 1985 – 27 August 1985 Ibrahim Babangida (Nigeria) 27 August 1985 – 1989 Dawda Jawara (The Gambia) 1989 – 1990 Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso) 1990 – 1991 Dawda Jawara (The Gambia) 1991 – 1992 Abdou Diouf (Senegal) 1992 – 1993 Nicéphore Soglo (Benin) 1993 – 1994 Jerry John Rawlings (Ghana) 1994 – 27 July 1996 Sani Abacha (Nigeria) 27 July 1996 – 8 June 1998 Abdulsalami Abubakar (Nigeria) 9 June 1998 – 1999 Gnassingbé Eyadéma (Togo) 1999 Alpha Oumar Konaré (Mali) 1999 – 21 December 2001 Abdoulaye Wade (Senegal) 21 December 2001 – 31 January 2003 John Agyekum Kufuor (Ghana) 31 January 2003 – 19 January 2005 Mamadou Tandja (Niger) 19 January 2005 – Present