A Critical Assessment of ECOWAS' Role in Safeguarding Democracy in West Africa

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute critically examines the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), arguing that its perceived success in promoting democracy was based on a narrow focus on elections while ignoring broader governance failures. The author contends that ECOWAS's tendency to defer to the interests of heads of state has led to a loss of legitimacy among citizens, contributing to a wave of coups since 2020 and the subsequent formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

• The author argues that ECOWAS's perceived success in promoting democracy during the 2000s and 2010s was illusory because it relied on a narrow definition of democracy centered on elections, while neglecting human rights, the rule of law, institutional quality, and state capacity.
• ECOWAS is criticized for being a 'club of dictators' with roots in its 1975 founding, where seven of the 15 signatory heads of state led military regimes and the remaining eight led one-party states. This history has fostered an institutional tendency to prioritize the preferences of government leaders over the needs of the people.
• Since 2020, West Africa has seen six successful coups in Mali (2020, 2021), Guinea (2021), Burkina Faso (January and September 2022), and Niger (2023). These were driven by public dissatisfaction with civilian leaders, such as in Mali where the 2020 coup followed anger over the COVID-19 pandemic response and allegations of vote-rigging.
• The departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS in January 2025 and their formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in July 2024 represents a significant blow to regional cohesion and a decline in the regional influence of Nigeria.
• The document highlights a double standard in ECOWAS's approach to governance: while the bloc condemns military coups, it has been lenient toward civilian leaders who extend their tenures or commit human rights abuses, such as Alassane Ouattara in Côte d'Ivoire and Alpha Condé in Guinea.
• Togo, under President Faure Gnassingbé, is presented as a state that undermines democratic norms internally through flawed elections and crackdowns, yet maintains legitimacy by acting as a diplomatic bridge between ECOWAS, the AES, and Western powers.
• The author proposes two specific reforms to restore ECOWAS's relevance: the creation of a biennial Citizens Consultation Forum across 12 countries to involve the public in decision-making, and the establishment of a strategic task force on governance within the Commission to advise on human rights and constitutional reform.

APA

Ogunmodede, C. O. (2025). A Critical Assessment of ECOWAS' Role in Safeguarding Democracy in West Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/a-critical-assessment-of-ecowas-role-in-safeguarding-democracy-in-west-africa

Chicago

Ogunmodede, Christopher O. A Critical Assessment of ECOWAS' Role in Safeguarding Democracy in West Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/a-critical-assessment-of-ecowas-role-in-safeguarding-democracy-in-west-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ogunmodede |first1=Christopher O. |title=A Critical Assessment of ECOWAS' Role in Safeguarding Democracy in West Africa |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=25 November 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/a-critical-assessment-of-ecowas-role-in-safeguarding-democracy-in-west-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ogunmodede2025critical, author = {Ogunmodede, Christopher O.}, title = {{A Critical Assessment of ECOWAS' Role in Safeguarding Democracy in West Africa}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://afripoli.org/a-critical-assessment-of-ecowas-role-in-safeguarding-democracy-in-west-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }