He said economic disparities among member countries have made some ECOWAS countries concentrate more on economic ties with countries outside the continent and even outside the regional economic bloc.
The former president was speaking at the launch of the West African Think Tank Network (WATTNet) by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in collaboration with nine other think tanks in West Africa to provide sub regional synergy in research and policy recommendations.
He implored the network to employ effective strategies that would convince leaders in the region to be committed to the concept of equal prosperity in all ECOWAS member countries.
The WATTNet will afford researchers in the sub region, the opportunity to collaborate and leverage their experiences in evidence-based research and policy advocacy to address some of the regional challenges.
The ten members WATTNet constitute think thanks with expertise in areas such as the economy, agriculture, statistics, governance, environment and African heritage, from five West African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
The Consortium for Political and Social Research, Initiative of Proposals for Agricultural and Rural, the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, Institute of Economic Affairs, Institute for Democratic Governance are some of the members of WATTNet.
Others are, the African Heritage Institution, Centre for Population and Environmental Development, Center for the Study of Economies of Africa, Center of Studies Documentation and Social Economic Research and the Ivorian Centre for Economic and Social Research.
In an interview with Onua FM, Professor Andrew Onokerhoraye, the Executive Director of the Centre for Population and Environmental Development in Nigeria, said there is the need to ensure that governments pay particular attention to recommendations made by think tanks in the ECOWAS sub region.
Source: Nii Okai Tetteh Onua FM | 3news.com | Ghana
