The Nigerian government gave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) what appeared to be a pleasant surprise when it paid a whopping N85 billion to the regional bloc as its community levy.
This development has elicited mixed reactions from Nigerian experts in international relations amid Nigeria’s economic crisis yet the country must demonstrate leadership as the most populous country in the West African sub region, especially as Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is the chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and the custodian of it values.
According to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, this payment is for Community Levy for January 2023 to January 2024, the first time the country will be up to date in 19 years.
Touray made this known on Friday at the 93rd session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja even as he raised alarm over non-remittances of the Community levy by member States as only 40 per cent had been received.
“In a quick response to this, Nigeria has now fully paid its Community levy,” he said.
He noted that this payment by Nigeria as levy to the regional bloc affirmed its leadership in West Africa even as he applauded Nigeria’s dedication to fostering regional integration, economic progress, and peace across the bloc.
“This remittance is a testament to Nigeria’s dedication to the ideals of ECOWAS; it will enable us to address regional challenges, from economic instability and security threats to humanitarian crises. The funds seek to address critical ECOWAS programs, including conflict resolution, infrastructure development, and aid for member states in crisis,” he added.
Reacting to this development, Senior lecturer with the Department of Political Science and International Relations and director of Strategic Partnership at the Al-Muhibbah University Abuja, Prof. Mukhtar Imam, welcomed Nigeria’s efforts and described it as a demonstration of leadership within the sub region.
He said “It is a good development at a time when the Nigerian president is the chair of ECOWAS; the country is leading by example in ensuring that all that it owes in the last couple of years have been paid up.
“Of course, part of the challenges that ECOWAS faces is the financial burden that has basically bedeviled the organization which has restricted it from conducting various activities across board. ECOWAS requires funding and this could not have come at a better time, when the regional bloc is facing serious challenges that will require funding to mitigate these challenges.”
He urged other countries that are defaulting in their payment to emulate Nigeria so that the regional body can have enough resources to fund its proprammes.
“Therefore, other countries should emulate Nigeria to ensure sufficient funding to carry out its mandate across the various organs and various interventions of ECOWAS. It is something to celebrate,” he said even as he advised the bloc to deploy resources to ensure that they bring back the three estranged members- Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which in January this year, announced their intention to quit the bloc following disagreements with ECOWAS about military coups in the three countries.
Also reacting to the development, another expert in international affairs, Dr. Austin Maho, said it raises questions about the priority of the Tinubu government, considering the daunting economic difficulties confronting the country.
He said that in terms of cost benefit analysis, Nigerians should ask what benefit ECOWAS has been to Nigeria that it should be the burden bearer of ECOWAS.
He said “ECOWAS was formed as an economic union in 1975, next year would mark the 50th anniversary of the union, can we say that the core objectives of ECOWAS have been realized, what happened to the dream of economic integration and a common currency for the sub region?
“I dare say that ECOWAS is a mere bureaucratic body that barely has any achievement to its name after five decades of existence. Its woes are further compounded by the withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS, dealing a deadly blow to the regional bloc. The regional body is in crisis. These three countries in terms of land mass constitute almost half of ECOWAS and they have not shown any sign yet of rescinding their decision.”
He said further that “as the chairman of ECOWAS one can only conclude that President Tinubu’s approval for the payment of our outstanding obligations to ECOWAS is only a face saving measure, you cannot be urging other members to pay up their obligation when you as the chairman your country owes. Be that as it may many Nigerians would definitely raise eyebrows and view the payments as a misplaced priority considering the many economic challenges confronting the country.”
The director of Centre for China Studies and renowned international affairs analyst, Charles Onunaiju, said it might be an attempt by the Tinubu government to do public relations which may not have any commensurate returns to Nigeria. He added that irrespective of the fact that Nigeria is expected to meet its obligation as a regional leader; ECOWAS does not represent primacy in terms of economic concerns for Nigeria as this may not even procure the needed respect for the country.
He noted that for Nigeria to pay its levy at once heightens concerns about Nigeria’s “surrogacy of the West especially France”, which is being rejected in the region.
“It is a paradox that France is being rejected in West Africa over its failure in the war against terrorism, but Nigeria appears to be warming up to France.”
He warned that the implications might be damning for the country because it will breed sub- regional concern as to why Nigeria is sacrificing so much and not having commensurate returns from ECOWAS.
“What is the value of ECOWAS to ordinary Nigerians in practical terms? We have seen hostile attitudes of other West African countries to Nigerians despite all the sacrifices Nigeria has made. I believe that more of that money should have gone into investing in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy,” he added.
Another Nigerian expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, chided the Nigerian President for giving priority to the bloc while a large number of Nigerians are languishing in abject poverty. He added that while it may be commendable to pay such levy, it is coming at a time Nigerians are battling with serious economic hardship brought about by the failing policies of the government.
“The news that the Nigerian government paid whopping sums as levy to ECOWAS while many Nigerians have been plunged into misery and cannot feed their families in Nigeria is very disturbing to say the least. Just yesterday, the country’s inflation figure rose to 34.6% which is one of the highest in the world.
“Food prices are steadily skyrocketing beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians but the Nigerian government seems to be more concerned to curry the favour of ECOWAS than the welfare of its citizens, which is very unfortunate,” he said.
