The recent military agreement between Ghana and the United States basing of U.S military personnel, the admission of Morocco, a north African country into ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and the consideration of Tunisia’s request to join the West African bloc brings to fore the fact that ECOWAS as a regional bloc no longer serves the interest of Nigeria.

We should not be in the business of pledging our financial resources to help countries just because as a regional giant we are expected to do so. We should not be sending our brave soldiers in a measure of devotion to defend West African countries on a whim just because as the regional giant Nigeria is by default expected to do so.Their sole duty of the Nigerian military is to defend the citizens of Nigerians who pay their salaries and owe allegiance to Nigeria, which Ghana, Sierra-leon, Gambia, Togo, etc do not.

For that reason among others. Nigeria should invoke whatever Article is required to withdraw from ECOWAS. The billions spent maintaining the regional bloc will be better spent on investments in infrastructure. As Africa’s biggest economy we should be aiming towards forging strategic economic ties with China, India, Brazil or the European Union, not playing petty big brother diplomacy.

The ECOWAS economic integration charter gives countries with a tiny GDP access to Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy and 200 million consumer market, the biggest consumer market in Africa, while Nigeria gets access to tiny, underdeveloped economies with a non-existent market.

Nigeria’s ECOWAS membership goes contrary to the 1999 amended constitutions policy of billions for subsidizing ECOWAS to serve Nigeria’s interest, but not one Naira for Empire or entangling alliances.

ECOWAS was established in May 28, 1974 not in self-defence, but to provide economic and military protection to West African countries not strong enough to fend off or resist big power bullying, which became apparent when France carried out several atomic bomb tests, not in France I Europe, but in West Africa. Exposing the people of Niger to harmful radiation.

Nigeria’s sense of brotherhood morphed into making West Africa safe for democracy by employing Nigeria’s powerful military, not unilaterally but under the auspices of ECOWAS to defend every member state from internal and external aggression.

As we can see self-defence did not push us into joining ECOWAS. In 1975 we were the most militarily and economically dominant nation in black Africa. Nigeria’s currency was running neck and neck with the British pounds, higher than the U.S dollar. The oil glut made Nigeria incredibly rich. Nigeria emerged from civil war stronger and richer.

Nigeria created ECOWAS as part of a gratuitous, preoccupation with containing the imperialist drive of colonial powers who, despite granting independence refused to leave their colonies alone. Secure in her oil wealth Nigeria was not vulnerable to economic imperialism.

The cost of subsidizing the security of the region Bloc is astonishing. Nigeria for instance spent $10 billion in a five-year period restoring peace to two ECOWAS member states in a civil war that had spilled into one country and threatened to expand into other member states. In January 2017 the Nigerian government spent $300 million to restore democracy in the Gambia.

ECOWAS enabled Nigeria to dominate West Africa. We were ECOWAS’s torso, while West Africans were ECOWAS’s limbs. As of this writing Nigeria accounts for 75 percent of ECOWAS’s budget and has soldiers, teachers, health experts, lawyers scattered across member states helping them develop.

ECOWAS marked an unprecedented break in African history. Not only was it the first fully integrated alliance ever, but it was the first time could practice its long-held foreign policy of Africa being the centre peace, by promoting and preserving peace everywhere in the West Africa.

But today times have chamged.ECOWAS is more ill-conceived at present, having expanded to admitting North African countries into the bloc, ostensibly to challenge Nigeria’s dominance, than it was in 1975 . Among other things, we are committed to defending ECOWAS member states from the very countries the member states are falling head-over-heels to establish economic and military alliances with. We are also absurdly committed to defending the admittance of a powerful North African country to ECOWAS all in the name of political correctness.

Nigeria’s efforts to collaborate with the leaders and people of the 16 member states to steer a democratic course have obviously being an exercise in futility. The evidence makes you wonder if our members of ECOWAS is inherently more threatening to Nigeria, than are our authoritarian or tyrannical next door neighbours.

A recent application by Tunisia to join the regional bloc is under review. While the proliferation of French and American military bases around Nigeria’s periphery was a cause for concern, Nigeria’s diplomatic, military and economic dominance of the ECOWAS regional bloc, with a net GDP of $1.4 trillion compensated for the challenge to Nigeria sphere of influence. The thought of an American or French military in an Anglo-phone ECOWAS member state was unthinkable.

The first domino to fall was Niger Republic. The construction of a $100 million Reaper drone base came as a surprise as there was no consultation with Nigeria to that effect. The construction of a second $100 million drone base in Agadez, Niger Republic at time when Boko Haram is more or less a spent force, was enough to raise eyebrows. For Mali, of course, France retained a significant force in the country after its military operation against the Tuaregs rebels. That was expected.

The big surprise here is Ghana. At a stroke, Nigeria’s closest ally and second most important ECOWAS member state just completely changed the strategic dynamics of ECOWAS. Everybody wants a piece of West Africa.

As the strategic environment in West Africa became more crowded and competitive, there was always the possibility, albeit remote, that external actors may someday diminish Nigeria’s influence by undermining Nigeria’s development and diplomatic effort.

French West Africa is already taken. Half these countries are dictatorships, the rest are in the doldrums. There is a reason why ex French colonies are the poorest and least developed in Africa. Nigeria and Ghana were the exception in majority French region.

Ghana claims it will not offer a military base to the U.S. That is delibrate naivety or actual naivety. Engaging with external actors like the United States and France will continue with open discussions of intersected interests and differences to Nigeria. It’s time Nigeria realises it has to withdraw its membership of ECOWAS and chart a new course for its future.

Leaving ECOWAS will set the stage for Nigeria’s soul-searching. Among other things it will force Nigeria to forge closer economic and diplomatic ties with China and Russia. France and the United States would certainly claim the sphere of influence over the ECOWAS, but that would be un-alarming as Nigeria will be too busy charting a new course.

Chinese firms have invested billions of dollars in building infrastructure in Africa, not military bases. China’s contribution to Africa, should be a catalyst for Nigeria to expand its economic relationship with China where both parties will mutually benefit.

The United States and France has a very arrogant attitude that it takes towards people from Africa, and that’s to set aside the fact that the United States does not have the financial or economic wherewithal to compete with China in any case. The U.S interference in the internal affairs of African countries is in sharp contrast to Chinese engagement with Africans. Nigeria is better served ridding itself off the shackles of petty regional responsibilities and take on the big league on the global stage.

To make Nigeria more prosperous, secure and grow to its potential, ECOWAS should be made a museum along with other artifacts of Nigeria’s decades long big brother engagement with its neighbours.


https://defensenigeria.com/2018/04/08/is-it-time-for-nigeria-to-quit-ecowas/

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Of a SSGN,I understand your frustrations with the recent developments in ECOWAS, but I don't think that leaving will pay us in the long run.

If Nigeria leaves, we won't have a voice during any negotiations and will lose a lot of influence in the sub-region. The other countries will simply have to shop elsewhere for guidance in the area of international cooperation in the sub-region, and that will leave them all at the mercy of the French.

The French are the ones pushing thier satellite states in the Maghreb like Tunisia and Morocco into ECOWAS, and my analysis of this leads me to believe that they are doing this because they don't feel like they have enough leverage right now.

That the French would feel threatened enough to try to "stack the bench" tells me that now, more than ever, we have the ability to step up in the sub-region. To me, this new push by France has a lot to do with the role we played in Gambia. Getting Jammeh to step down and simply escorting him out and going home is something that gave us a lot of support in the sub-region.

I am sure you recall the recent crisis in Togo where the people went into the streets against France's Eyadema. If we can pressure Jammeh to step down and go so far as to relocate him to Equatorial Guinea on our own, the French have good reason to fear that we might simply show up in Togo or Burkina Faso one day with an army and ease out one of thier own boys.

Since we have checked excesses in Liberia, Sierra Leone and now Gambia and never tried to subjugate the liberated population, what stops oppressed francophones from coming to meet us to help.

Let us consider that when the Cameroonian Separatists ran away from Biya's oppression, they ran to Abuja and claimed sanctuary. This happened after the Gambia intervention. Such a development would trouble any credible planners in the French Foreign Ministry and I think that is what is driving this new push by racist Maghrebis to join ECOWAS. Fear is the motive.

If we leave now, we condemn West Africa to the French and they will push the advantage and encircle us even more than they have now.

We are at a critical moment right now. While those in power don't see the big picture I know you do. We can't afford to leave. Now is the time to build even more bridges and give our brothers in the sub-region more hope and more alternatives.

The fact that Jammeh was removed did not go unnoticed by the Francophones. The fact that Senegal could not be trusted to intervene in the crisis is also critical to seeing the bigger picture.

Any Patriot with the ability to see the big picture will be frustrated by Nigeria's lack of grand stategy with dealing with ECOWAS, but inurge you not to give in to the despair by advocating a withdrawal.

True words..but ECOWAS will keep us grounded and stuck. There are just two many players. ECOWAS countries should be wooing Nigeria and making concessions to make us stay..not the other way round. %70 of West Africas population. %80 the GDP of West Africa...not counting Nigerias FDI.....What voice is Nigeria looking for? If ECOWAS member states unilaterally choose to engage with external players for selfish gains the regional bloc has lost iys relevance. $20 million dollars......giving the Americans foothold in Anglophone West Africa. $20 million. Nigeria spent $300 million in January 2017 to end the electoral crises in Gambia. What exactly are we benefiting frim ECOWAS. The comment made by Ghana's president on Americans makeing the region secure is a veiled slight at Nigeria. I am yet to see the returns for our magnanimity. What exavtly has ECOWAS got to offer Nigeria? Our future cannot be inexorably tied to a bunch of countries with economies thw size of local governments. We are punching below our belt.

SSGN:
True words..but ECOWAS will keep us grounded and stuck. There are just two many players. ECOWAS countries should be wooing Nigeria and making concessions to make us stay..not the other way round. %70 of West Africas population. %80 the GDP of West Africa...not counting Nigerias FDI.....What voice is Nigeria looking for? If ECOWAS member states unilaterally choose to engage with external players for selfish gains the regional bloc has lost iys relevance. $20 million dollars......giving the Americans foothold in Anglophone West Africa. $20 million. Nigeria spent $300 million in January 2017 to end the electoral crises in Gambia. What exactly are we benefiting frim ECOWAS. The comment made by Ghana's president on Americans makeing the region secure is a veiled slight at Nigeria. I am yet to see the returns for our magnanimity. What exavtly has ECOWAS got to offer Nigeria? Our future cannot be inexorably tied to a bunch of countries with economies thw size of local governments. We are punching below our belt.

Everything you are saying is true. The fact that the $20 million turned the Ghanian President's head is tragic and disappointing. But to me, it was a failure of Nigeria's Intelligence Agency. Something as huge as this should have been known to us before it happened and the key thing would have been to buy off the President of Ghana via direct payments and economic incentives.

One good method would have been to forgive Ghana's natural gas debt and increase shipments to them. The Ghanian President would have been able to spin this as a huge win and in exchange the military base agreement would have been scrapped and we would have secured Ghana's vote against the Arabs.

The fact that the Ghanians are being silly and allowing themselves to be played should only encouraging us to play them. The current Ghanain president is someone that showed himself early on as someone that isn't that credible when he plagiarized an entire speech. We should not be surprised that he is talking anyhow.

We know what we are working towards and we must not be distracted at any cost Oga. We have a huge GDP, with massive soft power but we are not using it properly. We should be carrying our economic aid for places like Ghana, Togo and Benin. Doing this is the surest way to increase our prestige and obtain influence. Yes, they should be wise enough to know that we are the only chance they have, but it they won't see we have to draw them closer to see.

Recently the Liberian president came out to ask for teachers from us. It would have been trivially easy to send about 1000 youth corpers to teach in Liberia. This kind of gesture can do so much to increase our views with the common people of the sub-region.

The elites of the West African sub-region are selfish and blind and that is why they have not decided bto follow us bumper to bumper. We need to go past them direct to thier people. That your service scheme of sending teachers to Liberia will increase support for us all over West Africa. Imagine a generation of Liberians wanting to wear khaki the way you g Nigerians do. Within a few years we will see politicians campaigning on pro-Nigeria ticket.

China is doing similar things in South East Asia. They have Confucius Institutes everywhere teaching this neighbors Mandarin and offer scholarships for them to school in China.

You can imagine China having to do things like that to get places like Vietnam and Cambodia to see the light and Ally more closely with China. The Chinese know they should not have to play such games but they know what they want and it costs them nothing, so they play them.

The Chinese play this game and it is working for them- the PM of Cambodia has decamped after years of chopping American money. Why? His people are looking to China more.

I understand your frustrations with our brothers. They should be wise than this by now, but we just have to draw them closer at all cost. Imagine offering Liberian and other graduates ability to do NYSC. We will have a generation of young West Africans that will see that they need to key into Nigeria.

With such strategies we will win them over firmly.

Plus the proliferation of our borders and breaking all agreement on importation and related matter is a good condition to considering the relevance of Ecowas

No such action should be taken under this clueless administration. Status quo must be maintained

SSGN I really enjoy reading your articles but you write as if Nigeria has a charismatic intelligent leader that has the heart of Nigerians at heart . It's like you don't live in the country at all. What you have written and the ones you have written will never ever happen in Nigeria ever.

I think Nigeria should stay at ECOWAS but be very very assertive.

If we quit, France wouldn't waste time to take over ECOWAS through one of these Francophone neighbours.

A nation is a secured as its borders. We can't afford to have hostile neighbors being prodded by foreign powers.

Btw, those that are vast in international relations should please explain the sudden obsession of these North African countries with ECOWAS.

LibertyRep:
I think Nigeria should stay at ECOWAS but be very very assertive.

If we quit, France wouldn't waste time to take over ECOWAS through one of these Francophone neighbours.

A nation is a secured as its borders. We can't afford to have hostile neighbors being proded by foreign powers.

Btw, those that are vast in international relations should please explain the sudden obsession of these North African countries with ECOWAS.

I suspect that they are being sent by the French to destabilize ECOWAS. Once they are inside the block, the leaders of other West African states can decide to side with the Arabs and follow them because they have some money.

As it is now, Nigeria is the only country that is credible enough to influence these other West African countries. We are the biggest player on the block so they have to follow us- they have no choice.

The French want to stop that. They are sending thier boys to divide the block. Watch out as France applies for observer status in ECOWAS. Some people won't want to believe but I believe it is coming.

Well I don't know much about international relations and diplomacy, but I think the OP and casualobserver1 got points, more for the latter. The fact that competition is in sight doesn't mean one should step down.

I feel this is the best time to let the Francos and its boys knew we are a major voice in ECOWAS. If we "Nexit", like Brexit, what do you this would happen to Kainji Dam, considering the fact that the River Niger flows through that ECOWAS state? France would fund them for power generation and dam the river in their country, cutting drastically our power generation.

I feel we should not only remain, but stand "gidigba".

abumeinben:
Well I don't know much about international relations and diplomacy, but I think the OP and casualobserver1 got points, more for the latter. The fact that competition is in sight doesn't mean one should step down.

I feel this is the best time to let the Francos and its boys knew we are a major voice in ECOWAS. If we "Nexit", like Brexit, what do you this would happen to Kainji Dam, considering the fact that the River Niger flows through that ECOWAS state? France would fund them for power generation and dam the river in their country, cutting drastically our power generation.

I feel we should not only remain, but stand "gidigba".

I appreciate your acknowledgement, Sir.

Your point about Kainji Dam is a very true one. We could be checkmated there by simply building another Dam in Guinea. The same thing is playing out between Egypt and Ethiopia. Egypt did not make friends with the Ethiopians and now the Ethiopians are building a dam that will dry up the Nile and bankrupt Egypt.

If that dam is built, Egypt's agricultural sector will be destroyed. The Egyptians have been trying to threaten the Ethiopians but no hope there for now. It looks like the Dam will be completed by 2020. The Ethiopians are adamant about building that dam and once they do, Egypt will officially be under thier mercy.

Ethiopia will be able to topple Egyptian governments, by slowing down water and destroying Egypt's agricultural sector. Egypt will lose it's independence in a stroke.

We must engage with our neighbors before we are checkmated.

casualobserver1:


I appreciate your acknowledgement, Sir.

Your point about Kainji Dam is a very true one. We could be checkmated there by simply building another Dam in Guinea. The same thing is playing out between Egypt and Ethiopia. Egypt did not make friends with the Ethiopians and now the Ethiopians are building a dam that will dry up the Nile and bankrupt Egypt.

If that dam is built, Egypt's agricultural sector will be destroyed. The Egyptians have been trying to threaten the Ethiopians but no hope there for now. It looks like the Dam will be completed by 2020. The Ethiopians are adamant about building that dam and once they do, Egypt will officially be under thier mercy.

Ethiopia will be able to topple Egyptian governments, by slowing down water and destroying Egypt's agricultural sector. Egypt will lose it's independence in a stroke.

We must engage with our neighbors before we are checkmated.

Look at the trajectory of the river Niger, will actually will be more vulnerable and what if we have mentally unstable presidents in such countries or hopeless turncoats?

Instead of leaving like cowards why not put our feet on the ground and sanction every errant country like Ghana that does anything without our permission. We shall also force them to use Naira as regional currency. He who pays the piper should confidently dictate the tunes.

I think the issue everyone is ignoring is, what is Nigeria's endgame in the region?

We only seem to talk about economy when issues about the sub-region and the continent is discussed. Yet we consistently fail to tie that in with national security, our influence, and set geopolitical objectives.

Asking Nigeria to leave ECOWAS is like asking Germany to leave the EU. If ECOWAS isn't benefiting us, then no one but us is to blame.

And it's no surprise. What is our foreign policy? What are our objectives in the sub-region in the next 10 or 20 years? We don't have any. We're just winging it.

Ghana is within the UK's sphere of influence. If the US can open and operate a military base in Francophone West Africa. There's no reason why they can't in Anglophone West Africa. The US, UK, and France are all in NATO and the UNSC and have their own gentleman agreements.

Nigeria's long term target should be to wrestle from the grip of the West like India is doing and make sub-Saharan Africa our footstool. But since the black man has a congenital mental disorder of not being able to think far ahead into the future, we are monkeying about and letting countries that should be our vassal states spit on our faces. Very soon Sierra Leone and Liberia will get on their feet, and I can bet my hat that when they do, they'll pull a black-ruled South Africa on us and try to rival us directly.

@SSGN, we have no business pulling out of ECOWAS. We cannot be clamoring to be made a permanent UNSC member, and we're not able to hold down a sub-regional body where we make up "70% of the population and 80% of the GDP." It is shameful. SA runs the SADC with an iron fist, why must we fail at every thing.

-Lord

vedaxcool:


Look at the trajectory of the river Niger, will actually will be more vulnerable and what if we have mentally unstable presidents in such countries or hopeless turncoats?

If we fumble, we will be checkmated in Guinea. That country has enough hills to build a mighty dam and mess everything up.

This is proof that we need to engage constructively with them to forstall disaster. Niger is another weak point, but the Niger River Basin in Niger is not very suitable for dams.

casualobserver1:


If we fumble, we will be checkmated in Guinea. That country has enough hills to build a mighty dam and mess everything up.

This is proof that we need to engage constructively with them to forstall disaster. Niger is another weak point, but the Niger River Basin in Niger is not very suitable for dams.

They currently are building a damn in Niger

vedaxcool:


They currently are building a damn in Niger

Yes they are. This is worrying but the dam they are building will not have enough capacity to choke us off totally. That dam should never have happened but they ended up modifying the design to reduce downstream impact.

Lack of strategy is killing us.

casualobserver1:


Yes they are. This is worrying but the dam they are building will not have enough capacity to choke us off totally. That dam should never have happened but they ended up modifying the design to reduce downstream impact.

Lack of strategy is killing us.

We are too busy fighting ourselves in this country to realize the sword of Damocles hagging above our heads.

SSGN:
The recent military agreement between Ghana and the United States basing of U.S military personnel, the admission of Morocco, a north African country into ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and the consideration of Tunisia’s request to join the West African bloc brings to fore the fact that ECOWAS as a regional bloc no longer serves the interest of Nigeria.

We should not be in the business of pledging our financial resources to help countries just because as a regional giant we are expected to do so. We should not be sending our brave soldiers in a measure of devotion to defend West African countries on a whim just because as the regional giant Nigeria is by default expected to do so.Their sole duty of the Nigerian military is to defend the citizens of Nigerians who pay their salaries and owe allegiance to Nigeria, which Ghana, Sierra-leon, Gambia, Togo, etc do not.

For that reason among others. Nigeria should invoke whatever Article is required to withdraw from ECOWAS. The billions spent maintaining the regional bloc will be better spent on investments in infrastructure. As Africa’s biggest economy we should be aiming towards forging strategic economic ties with China, India, Brazil or the European Union, not playing petty big brother diplomacy.

The ECOWAS economic integration charter gives countries with a tiny GDP access to Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy and 200 million consumer market, the biggest consumer market in Africa, while Nigeria gets access to tiny, underdeveloped economies with a non-existent market.

Nigeria’s ECOWAS membership goes contrary to the 1999 amended constitutions policy of billions for subsidizing ECOWAS to serve Nigeria’s interest, but not one Naira for Empire or entangling alliances.

ECOWAS was established in May 28, 1974 not in self-defence, but to provide economic and military protection to West African countries not strong enough to fend off or resist big power bullying, which became apparent when France carried out several atomic bomb tests, not in France I Europe, but in West Africa. Exposing the people of Niger to harmful radiation.

Nigeria’s sense of brotherhood morphed into making West Africa safe for democracy by employing Nigeria’s powerful military, not unilaterally but under the auspices of ECOWAS to defend every member state from internal and external aggression.

As we can see self-defence did not push us into joining ECOWAS. In 1975 we were the most militarily and economically dominant nation in black Africa. Nigeria’s currency was running neck and neck with the British pounds, higher than the U.S dollar. The oil glut made Nigeria incredibly rich. Nigeria emerged from civil war stronger and richer.

Nigeria created ECOWAS as part of a gratuitous, preoccupation with containing the imperialist drive of colonial powers who, despite granting independence refused to leave their colonies alone. Secure in her oil wealth Nigeria was not vulnerable to economic imperialism.

The cost of subsidizing the security of the region Bloc is astonishing. Nigeria for instance spent $10 billion in a five-year period restoring peace to two ECOWAS member states in a civil war that had spilled into one country and threatened to expand into other member states. In January 2017 the Nigerian government spent $300 million to restore democracy in the Gambia.

ECOWAS enabled Nigeria to dominate West Africa. We were ECOWAS’s torso, while West Africans were ECOWAS’s limbs. As of this writing Nigeria accounts for 75 percent of ECOWAS’s budget and has soldiers, teachers, health experts, lawyers scattered across member states helping them develop.

ECOWAS marked an unprecedented break in African history. Not only was it the first fully integrated alliance ever, but it was the first time could practice its long-held foreign policy of Africa being the centre peace, by promoting and preserving peace everywhere in the West Africa.

But today times have chamged.ECOWAS is more ill-conceived at present, having expanded to admitting North African countries into the bloc, ostensibly to challenge Nigeria’s dominance, than it was in 1975 . Among other things, we are committed to defending ECOWAS member states from the very countries the member states are falling head-over-heels to establish economic and military alliances with. We are also absurdly committed to defending the admittance of a powerful North African country to ECOWAS all in the name of political correctness.

Nigeria’s efforts to collaborate with the leaders and people of the 16 member states to steer a democratic course have obviously being an exercise in futility. The evidence makes you wonder if our members of ECOWAS is inherently more threatening to Nigeria, than are our authoritarian or tyrannical next door neighbours.

A recent application by Tunisia to join the regional bloc is under review. While the proliferation of French and American military bases around Nigeria’s periphery was a cause for concern, Nigeria’s diplomatic, military and economic dominance of the ECOWAS regional bloc, with a net GDP of $1.4 trillion compensated for the challenge to Nigeria sphere of influence. The thought of an American or French military in an Anglo-phone ECOWAS member state was unthinkable.

The first domino to fall was Niger Republic. The construction of a $100 million Reaper drone base came as a surprise as there was no consultation with Nigeria to that effect. The construction of a second $100 million drone base in Agadez, Niger Republic at time when Boko Haram is more or less a spent force, was enough to raise eyebrows. For Mali, of course, France retained a significant force in the country after its military operation against the Tuaregs rebels. That was expected.

The big surprise here is Ghana. At a stroke, Nigeria’s closest ally and second most important ECOWAS member state just completely changed the strategic dynamics of ECOWAS. Everybody wants a piece of West Africa.

As the strategic environment in West Africa became more crowded and competitive, there was always the possibility, albeit remote, that external actors may someday diminish Nigeria’s influence by undermining Nigeria’s development and diplomatic effort.

French West Africa is already taken. Half these countries are dictatorships, the rest are in the doldrums. There is a reason why ex French colonies are the poorest and least developed in Africa. Nigeria and Ghana were the exception in majority French region.

Ghana claims it will not offer a military base to the U.S. That is delibrate naivety or actual naivety. Engaging with external actors like the United States and France will continue with open discussions of intersected interests and differences to Nigeria. It’s time Nigeria realises it has to withdraw its membership of ECOWAS and chart a new course for its future.

Leaving ECOWAS will set the stage for Nigeria’s soul-searching. Among other things it will force Nigeria to forge closer economic and diplomatic ties with China and Russia. France and the United States would certainly claim the sphere of influence over the ECOWAS, but that would be un-alarming as Nigeria will be too busy charting a new course.

Chinese firms have invested billions of dollars in building infrastructure in Africa, not military bases. China’s contribution to Africa, should be a catalyst for Nigeria to expand its economic relationship with China where both parties will mutually benefit.

The United States and France has a very arrogant attitude that it takes towards people from Africa, and that’s to set aside the fact that the United States does not have the financial or economic wherewithal to compete with China in any case. The U.S interference in the internal affairs of African countries is in sharp contrast to Chinese engagement with Africans. Nigeria is better served ridding itself off the shackles of petty regional responsibilities and take on the big league on the global stage.

To make Nigeria more prosperous, secure and grow to its potential, ECOWAS should be made a museum along with other artifacts of Nigeria’s decades long big brother engagement with its neighbours.


https://defensenigeria.com/2018/04/08/is-it-time-for-nigeria-to-quit-ecowas/

Shut the Bleep up fool. Nigeria(Yoruba/Hausa fulani) over the ages have engaged through every available means to destroy the Igbos (genocide, jihadists expansion, infrastructure marginalization, fulani headsmen killings, boko haram), not knowing that they are still destroying the same Nigeria as a major country within a region that has being evolving away from the vision of their founding fathers.

Idiot, do you now blame Morroco, Tunisia or US military agreement with Ghana when your preoccupation is collective hatred towards Igbos than being pro Nigeria. Ghanaians after years and years of higher expectations from their stupid big brother have decided to act in a way that will benefit them and harmful to Nigerian interest, and expect more.

Leaving the union isn't the best option and partnering with china isn't the best option also for china under card play isn't good either.
This is the time for sober reflection, time to sit and ask and look for what's wrong with us. Lets try to develop from within and use the sub region as a launching pad for greater political, economic break through in the world. We hadn't leverage on what we have, we should be more assertive, call out france for making their former colonies poorer. Battle france political and economic influence in the sub region, for if we can't have a say in our own back yard, we won't have a say in the world.
Lets develop from within and stop looking/depending on china or france for growth. For any relationship to be beneficial, you have answer the question what are you bringing to the table.

SSGN:
The recent military agreement between Ghana and the United States basing of U.S military personnel, the admission of Morocco, a north African country into ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and the consideration of Tunisia’s request to join the West African bloc brings to fore the fact that ECOWAS as a regional bloc no longer serves the interest of Nigeria.

We should not be in the business of pledging our financial resources to help countries just because as a regional giant we are expected to do so. We should not be sending our brave soldiers in a measure of devotion to defend West African countries on a whim just because as the regional giant Nigeria is by default expected to do so.Their sole duty of the Nigerian military is to defend the citizens of Nigerians who pay their salaries and owe allegiance to Nigeria, which Ghana, Sierra-leon, Gambia, Togo, etc do not.

For that reason among others. Nigeria should invoke whatever Article is required to withdraw from ECOWAS. The billions spent maintaining the regional bloc will be better spent on investments in infrastructure. As Africa’s biggest economy we should be aiming towards forging strategic economic ties with China, India, Brazil or the European Union, not playing petty big brother diplomacy.

The ECOWAS economic integration charter gives countries with a tiny GDP access to Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy and 200 million consumer market, the biggest consumer market in Africa, while Nigeria gets access to tiny, underdeveloped economies with a non-existent market.

Nigeria’s ECOWAS membership goes contrary to the 1999 amended constitutions policy of billions for subsidizing ECOWAS to serve Nigeria’s interest, but not one Naira for Empire or entangling alliances.

ECOWAS was established in May 28, 1974 not in self-defence, but to provide economic and military protection to West African countries not strong enough to fend off or resist big power bullying, which became apparent when France carried out several atomic bomb tests, not in France I Europe, but in West Africa. Exposing the people of Niger to harmful radiation.

Nigeria’s sense of brotherhood morphed into making West Africa safe for democracy by employing Nigeria’s powerful military, not unilaterally but under the auspices of ECOWAS to defend every member state from internal and external aggression.

As we can see self-defence did not push us into joining ECOWAS. In 1975 we were the most militarily and economically dominant nation in black Africa. Nigeria’s currency was running neck and neck with the British pounds, higher than the U.S dollar. The oil glut made Nigeria incredibly rich. Nigeria emerged from civil war stronger and richer.

Nigeria created ECOWAS as part of a gratuitous, preoccupation with containing the imperialist drive of colonial powers who, despite granting independence refused to leave their colonies alone. Secure in her oil wealth Nigeria was not vulnerable to economic imperialism.

The cost of subsidizing the security of the region Bloc is astonishing. Nigeria for instance spent $10 billion in a five-year period restoring peace to two ECOWAS member states in a civil war that had spilled into one country and threatened to expand into other member states. In January 2017 the Nigerian government spent $300 million to restore democracy in the Gambia.

ECOWAS enabled Nigeria to dominate West Africa. We were ECOWAS’s torso, while West Africans were ECOWAS’s limbs. As of this writing Nigeria accounts for 75 percent of ECOWAS’s budget and has soldiers, teachers, health experts, lawyers scattered across member states helping them develop.

ECOWAS marked an unprecedented break in African history. Not only was it the first fully integrated alliance ever, but it was the first time could practice its long-held foreign policy of Africa being the centre peace, by promoting and preserving peace everywhere in the West Africa.

But today times have chamged.ECOWAS is more ill-conceived at present, having expanded to admitting North African countries into the bloc, ostensibly to challenge Nigeria’s dominance, than it was in 1975 . Among other things, we are committed to defending ECOWAS member states from the very countries the member states are falling head-over-heels to establish economic and military alliances with. We are also absurdly committed to defending the admittance of a powerful North African country to ECOWAS all in the name of political correctness.

Nigeria’s efforts to collaborate with the leaders and people of the 16 member states to steer a democratic course have obviously being an exercise in futility. The evidence makes you wonder if our members of ECOWAS is inherently more threatening to Nigeria, than are our authoritarian or tyrannical next door neighbours.

A recent application by Tunisia to join the regional bloc is under review. While the proliferation of French and American military bases around Nigeria’s periphery was a cause for concern, Nigeria’s diplomatic, military and economic dominance of the ECOWAS regional bloc, with a net GDP of $1.4 trillion compensated for the challenge to Nigeria sphere of influence. The thought of an American or French military in an Anglo-phone ECOWAS member state was unthinkable.

The first domino to fall was Niger Republic. The construction of a $100 million Reaper drone base came as a surprise as there was no consultation with Nigeria to that effect. The construction of a second $100 million drone base in Agadez, Niger Republic at time when Boko Haram is more or less a spent force, was enough to raise eyebrows. For Mali, of course, France retained a significant force in the country after its military operation against the Tuaregs rebels. That was expected.

The big surprise here is Ghana. At a stroke, Nigeria’s closest ally and second most important ECOWAS member state just completely changed the strategic dynamics of ECOWAS. Everybody wants a piece of West Africa.

As the strategic environment in West Africa became more crowded and competitive, there was always the possibility, albeit remote, that external actors may someday diminish Nigeria’s influence by undermining Nigeria’s development and diplomatic effort.

French West Africa is already taken. Half these countries are dictatorships, the rest are in the doldrums. There is a reason why ex French colonies are the poorest and least developed in Africa. Nigeria and Ghana were the exception in majority French region.

Ghana claims it will not offer a military base to the U.S. That is delibrate naivety or actual naivety. Engaging with external actors like the United States and France will continue with open discussions of intersected interests and differences to Nigeria. It’s time Nigeria realises it has to withdraw its membership of ECOWAS and chart a new course for its future.

Leaving ECOWAS will set the stage for Nigeria’s soul-searching. Among other things it will force Nigeria to forge closer economic and diplomatic ties with China and Russia. France and the United States would certainly claim the sphere of influence over the ECOWAS, but that would be un-alarming as Nigeria will be too busy charting a new course.

Chinese firms have invested billions of dollars in building infrastructure in Africa, not military bases. China’s contribution to Africa, should be a catalyst for Nigeria to expand its economic relationship with China where both parties will mutually benefit.

The United States and France has a very arrogant attitude that it takes towards people from Africa, and that’s to set aside the fact that the United States does not have the financial or economic wherewithal to compete with China in any case. The U.S interference in the internal affairs of African countries is in sharp contrast to Chinese engagement with Africans. Nigeria is better served ridding itself off the shackles of petty regional responsibilities and take on the big league on the global stage.

To make Nigeria more prosperous, secure and grow to its potential, ECOWAS should be made a museum along with other artifacts of Nigeria’s decades long big brother engagement with its neighbours.


https://defensenigeria.com/2018/04/08/is-it-time-for-nigeria-to-quit-ecowas/

Here you go again with your nonsense article. Its not worth my time schooling u on some rubbish u wrote here. I had done that once but not again.

tensazangetsu20:
SSGN I really enjoy reading your articles but you write as if Nigeria has a charismatic intelligent leader that has the heart of Nigerians at heart . It's like you don't live in the country at all. What you have written and the ones you have written will never ever happen in Nigeria ever.

never say neverrrrr. Besides that, every other thing you said is on point (charismatic intelligent leader) i've to in back and like your comment.

casualobserver1:


I appreciate your acknowledgement, Sir.

Your point about Kainji Dam is a very true one. We could be checkmated there by simply building another Dam in Guinea. The same thing is playing out between Egypt and Ethiopia. Egypt did not make friends with the Ethiopians and now the Ethiopians are building a dam that will dry up the Nile and bankrupt Egypt.

If that dam is built, Egypt's agricultural sector will be destroyed. The Egyptians have been trying to threaten the Ethiopians but no hope there for now. It looks like the Dam will be completed by 2020. The Ethiopians are adamant about building that dam and once they do, Egypt will officially be under thier mercy.

Ethiopia will be able to topple Egyptian governments, by slowing down water and destroying Egypt's agricultural sector. Egypt will lose it's independence in a stroke.

We must engage with our neighbors before we are checkmated.

Egypt vs Ethiopia...sounds Biblical

casualobserver1:


I appreciate your acknowledgement, Sir.

Your point about Kainji Dam is a very true one. We could be checkmated there by simply building another Dam in Guinea. The same thing is playing out between Egypt and Ethiopia. Egypt did not make friends with the Ethiopians and now the Ethiopians are building a dam that will dry up the Nile and bankrupt Egypt.

If that dam is built, Egypt's agricultural sector will be destroyed. The Egyptians have been trying to threaten the Ethiopians but no hope there for now. It looks like the Dam will be completed by 2020. The Ethiopians are adamant about building that dam and once they do, Egypt will officially be under thier mercy.

Ethiopia will be able to topple Egyptian governments, by slowing down water and destroying Egypt's agricultural sector. Egypt will lose it's independence in a stroke.

We must engage with our neighbors before we are checkmated.

The Ethiopian Dam will not dry the Nile. Ethiopia will only going to accumulate the water in Dam slowly (it will take 11-13 years to fill the Dam).

Between, the Nile is now on our mercy. It’s 70-80% complete and we can starve Egypt to death if we want.

abumeinben:


Egypt vs Ethiopia...sounds Biblical

There was a war between the 2 in modern times (19th century). Egypt was totally defeated, bankrupted and this lead her to be colonized by Britain.

Unless there is Restructuring of the 36 Constitutional States before 2019 Election, Fulani Herdsmen Economic Programme will determine Nigeria's Fate in ECONAS, NOT ECOWAS. (North of the Equator African States which will eventually include Morrocco, Tunicia, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan etc).

We should be thinking of how to get Nigeria out of Islamic Community of countries or whatever

Hati13:

There was a war between the 2 in modern times (19th century). Egypt was totally defeated, bankrupted and this lead her to be colonized by Britain.

That war was fought with swords, guns and cannons. This would be fought with hydropower.

abumeinben:


That war was fought with swords, guns and cannons. This would be fought with hydropower.

It doesn’t make sense. You are comparing weapons of war with cause of war.

Egypt tried to conquer Ethiopia in the 19th century so that they could secure the Blue Nile. Some Ethiopian rulers used to threaten Egypt that they will divert the Nile and Egyptians used to get worried by this.

Hati13:

It doesn’t make sense. You are comparing weapons of war with cause of war.

Egypt tried to conquer Ethiopia in the 19th century so that they could secure the Blue Nile. Some Ethiopian rulers used to threaten Egypt that they will divert the Nile and Egyptians used to get worried by this.

Cause of war was common water. The weapon used was water threats, Sire!


But let's not derail this informative and educative thread.

SSGN:
True words..but ECOWAS will keep us grounded and stuck. There are just two many players. ECOWAS countries should be wooing Nigeria and making concessions to make us stay..not the other way round. %70 of West Africas population. %80 the GDP of West Africa...not counting Nigerias FDI.....What voice is Nigeria looking for? If ECOWAS member states unilaterally choose to engage with external players for selfish gains the regional bloc has lost iys relevance. $20 million dollars......giving the Americans foothold in Anglophone West Africa. $20 million. Nigeria spent $300 million in January 2017 to end the electoral crises in Gambia. What exactly are we benefiting frim ECOWAS. The comment made by Ghana's president on Americans makeing the region secure is a veiled slight at Nigeria. I am yet to see the returns for our magnanimity. What exavtly has ECOWAS got to offer Nigeria? Our future cannot be inexorably tied to a bunch of countries with economies thw size of local governments. We are punching below our belt.

we can't get toilets to flush you are talking about below weight punching?

It amazes me how Nigerians think they rule west Africa. They show this attitude in their dealings and attitudes towards other Africans. They belittle virtually everybody except their own gross and massive stupidity. They believe that it is divinely ordained upon them to supervise other African nations simply because they have a huge population of a certain race. All the things they claim to have done to "liberate" other countries were equally done by other countries. Talk of South Africa. Almost all African countries helped. Countries like Ghana did equally well... Issuing of passports etc, Even the SA government knows this. They claim they helped restore democracy in Gambia, Sierra Leone when it was a joint Ecowas force. There's so much I can mention. Aside all this brazen disrespect for the efforts and contribution of other countries they dream of occupying a a permanent seat in UN. As I type this Nigeria is not even among the top countries that contribute troops to the UN. Now instead of cementing well their relationship with their most trusted and closest ally in the subregion- Ghana. No they will rather look down and spit on them. They lack the same respect that they expect to earn from their neighbors. You can observe this from the original post. They call a nation that is 3 years older than them younger brother. This shows the educational level of their leaders. There are alot I can correct in this post but I will live that for reasonable human to deduct the cold facts and truths from the falsehood, distorted facts and propaganda. Anyway good luck with your endeavors. If your country feels they can achieve superiority by spitting on others especially Ghana, well good luck with that. Ghana can be to Nigeria what the Uk is to US. That is if your leaders are smart to enough to know. Thank you