The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Wednesday launched a book titled, "Nation States and the Challenges of Integration in West Africa: The Case of Ghana."
The 160-page book was edited by Professor Kwame A. Ninsin, Scholar-in- Residence of IDEG. It features seven chapters authored by Ghanaian scholars, practitioners and policy makers working in the area of regional integration.
The book discusses critical issues such as "Ghana and the Politics of the Sub-Regional Integration", "The Challenges of a Single Currency for West Africa" as well as "Gender Mainstreaming Policies on National and Sub-regional Integration".
Dr Abdul Lamin, Programme Specialist, Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO, commended IDEG, the authors and the editor for their collective intellectual leadership and institutional support throughout the conception and implementation of the research project.
He said the project was initiated in 2005 by the Management of Social Transformation programme (MOST) of the Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO and it was now in its final phase.
Dr Lamin said since the inception of the project, 10 books had been published, all of which analyse the challenges faced by individual states, as they pursued ECOWAS' regional integration agenda.
He said manuscripts from the remaining five countries were currently being edited for publication in partnership with the United Nations University Centre for Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) in Brugges, Belgium. Two synthesis publications are also being prepared by a team of researchers from UNESCO and UNU-CRIS.
"Our goal is that by the time the project is finalized in the coming months, we would have produced 17 publications (one from each of the 15 ECOWAS member states, and two synthesis publications), reflecting a huge body of literature at the disposal of ECOWAS to reflect on, in seeking to achieve the rapid integration of the West African sub-region," he added.
He therefore pledged UNESCO's commitment in supporting Africa-led initiatives, as part of their mid-term strategy.
Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso, Senior Research Fellow, Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), in reviewing the book, said it contained useful information on ECOWAS, but was quick to add that there was the need for future research into the subject to cater for unanswered research questions.
He said for instance, ECOWAS and Sub-Regional Security, ECOWAS and Africa Union, ECOWAS and NEPAD, and ECOWAS and Civil Society Organisations should have been researched.
Prof. Kwame Karikari, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa, who chaired the function, said there was every indication that the continent stood to benefit socially from integration.
He stressed the need for another volume to answer the gaps that were left, especially the popularization of ECOWAS, and urged all member states to build on the progress made so far.
He said ECOWAS had made progress in peacekeeping and could have done more on integration, and called on citizens to put pressure on governments to come out clearly on the subject.
Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of IDEG, urged the Foreign Ministry, Ghana Immigration Service, Customs, Excise and Prevention Service, and the Universities to get copies of the book for their staff.