The House of Representatives has directed an appraisal of the contributions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Nigeria in the last 10 years, with a view to determining the justification of the country’s financial contribution to the sub regional organisation.
Its committees on Inter-parliamentary Relations and ECOWAS Parliament, and Foreign Affairs which were mandated to jointly carry out the assignment are expected to turn in the report within six weeks.
This was sequel to a motion by Hon. Awaji-inombek Abiante, who on Thursday observed that that in 16 years, Nigeria has contributed more than $1.177 billion to the ECOWAS as its Community Levy, “and this is the highest contribution by any member State since inception”.
According to him, Nigeria has immensely contributed to the ECOWAS- power supply to member states, medical interventions and peacekeeping efforts in member states, including the Gambia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Liberia among others, adding that despite Nigeria’s larger than life financial contributions to the ECOWAS, the Country and its citizen have not benefitted immensel.
He said ECOWAS ‘Vision 2050’, a new regional prospective frame of reference for the next thirty years proclaims that ECOWAS must become a community of people, by placing more emphasis on Infrastructural development, integration, youths and women who are the region’s vives, stressing that the vision if well implemented will ensure a secure, stable and peaceful region, amongst other objectives.
He submitted that “there is a need to appraise the benefits and contributions of ECOWAS towards the Socio-economic development of Nigeria and Nigerians in the last ten years”.