Ein Balanceakt: Wie Westafrika bei Investitionsgeschäften wieder mehr Einfluss gewinnt

The document examines the challenges facing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in attracting and managing foreign direct investment (FDI). It highlights a disconnect between regional elite institutions and citizens, exacerbated by the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in January 2025. While West Africa possesses significant mineral resources and growth potential in renewables and IT, it suffers from weak governance, fragmented infrastructure, and an overdependence on foreign donors for energy project funding. The author recommends a harmonised regional investment framework and a prioritisation of cross-border energy infrastructure to enhance collective bargaining power and sustainable development.

• West Africa faces a crisis of legitimacy, with citizens increasingly viewing ECOWAS as an elite body that prioritises foreign interests over local needs, a sentiment that contributed to the January 2025 withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
• Despite a global decline in FDI, West Africa is well-positioned for investment due to critical minerals (bauxite, manganese, copper) and a growing urban population projected to reach 436 million by 2050, though it still lags in domestic capital accumulation due to weak governance.
• The regional energy sector is severely hampered by a financing gap and fragmented infrastructure, with only 42% of the population and 8% of rural residents having electricity access.
• ECOWAS energy agencies suffer from a 'principal-agent dilemma' due to heavy reliance on external funding; for example, over 60% of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) 2025 operational budget is foreign-financed.

APA

Sam, H. (2025). Ein Balanceakt: Wie Westafrika bei Investitionsgeschäften wieder mehr Einfluss gewinnt. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/ein-balanceakt-wie-westafrika-bei-investitionsgeschaeften-wieder-mehr-einfluss-gewinnt-en

Chicago

Sam, Hermine. Ein Balanceakt: Wie Westafrika bei Investitionsgeschäften wieder mehr Einfluss gewinnt. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/de/ein-balanceakt-wie-westafrika-bei-investitionsgeschaeften-wieder-mehr-einfluss-gewinnt-en.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sam |first1=Hermine |title=Ein Balanceakt: Wie Westafrika bei Investitionsgeschäften wieder mehr Einfluss gewinnt |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=6 November 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/ein-balanceakt-wie-westafrika-bei-investitionsgeschaeften-wieder-mehr-einfluss-gewinnt-en |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sam2025ein, author = {Sam, Hermine}, title = {{Ein Balanceakt: Wie Westafrika bei Investitionsgeschäften wieder mehr Einfluss gewinnt}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/ein-balanceakt-wie-westafrika-bei-investitionsgeschaeften-wieder-mehr-einfluss-gewinnt-en}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }