Comparing and Contrasting ECOWAS and SADC: Successes, Failures, and Challenges

The overall goal of the African Union in relation to regional integration is the attainment of the Africa Economic Community in which the identified eight regional economic blocs have been tasked to fast-track this aspiration as highlighted in the Abuja Treaty of 1991. This study undertakes a desk review to compare and contrast two regional blocs—ECOWAS and SADC. This is done by looking at the successes, failures and challenges faced by each of the regions. The study found that both ECOWAS and SADC have made indelible progress in ensuring peace and security in their regions and the attainment of some important regional integration landmarks such as the free trade area, free movement of people, and trans-national roads. On the contrary, these RECs have failed to ultimately achieve their integration goals. Both ECOWAS and SADC have failed to implement the customs union and a single regional currency. There are however several challenges faced by these RECs such as multiple membership, lack of political will to implement regional integration programs, and the pursuit of over-ambitious regional integration goals. Therefore, it is recommended that both ECOWAS and SADC undertake comprehensive effort to ensure that realist regional integrations goals are set with the needed political vigor to achieve them. Without which many regional integration programs will continue being stuck and never attained.