Posted by / Saturday 2 April 2016 / No comments

The benefits Ghana derives from her membership of ECOWAS

Kwame, Nkrumah, Ghana, Accra, President

BENEFITS GHANA DERIVES ECOWAS
Benefits in the Energy Sector
One of the benefits Ghana derives from her membership of ECOWAS is in the area of energy. In collaboration with other countries in the sub-region, a gas pipeline was, for example, constructed from Nigeria through Benin and Togo to provide gas to power Ghana's power barges for the production of electricity. Today, Ghana is exporting electricity to neighbouring ECOWAS member states and earning foreign exchange.

Expanded market
The combined population of the entire sub-region has created a bigger and ready market for Ghanaian goods and services. Now Ghanaian companies like Kasapreku, Ashfoam, and UT Financial Services, to mention but a few, have all opened branches in Nigeria. Also, many Ghanaian goods are being exported to the neighbouring member states. Burkina Faso imports petroleum products from Ghana and this earns Ghana the needed foreign exchange.

Creation of jobs
Some of Ghana's citizens have found employment at the ECOWAS Commission which they would otherwise not have had. Apart from that, expansion in production of goods for exports to the sub-region has created more jobs for Ghanaian citizens.

Benefits from joint ventures
Another benefit Ghana enjoys from her membership of ECOWAS comes from her joint venture activities with other member states. Ghana has, for example, collaborated with neighbours along the Gulf of Guinea to construct a gas pipeline to supply gas to Ghana from Nigeria. Ghana has also joined forces with Cote D'Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Nigeria to create the Abidjan to Lagos Highway.
 
Free Movement of Persons and Goods
Another benefit from Ghana's membership of ECOWAS is the free movement of persons and goods across member states. Today, Ghanaian citizens can travel to other member states and reside there for 90 days without a visa. This has, to some extent, eased the hustle associated with traveling across the land borders surrounding Ghana.

Military Assistance
It is believed that any act of aggression directed to Ghana can be contained by the  ECOWAS Monitoring Group ECOMOG. The same military establishment of the Economic Community of West African States that restored peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone is capable of restoring peace in Ghana too, should any armed conflict occurs.

SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. What six benefits does Ghana derive from her membership of the Economic Community of West African States?
2. Highlight six benefits Ghana from her membership of the Economic Community of West African States?


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