West African perspectives : resources for development

115 Pages·2009·11.132 MB·English

by  OECD

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What are the medium- and long-term challenges facing West Africa? Which strategies should
the region employ to address them? What resources does the region have that can drive future
resources for develoPment
development?
West African Perspectives: Resources for Development conducts a cross-cutting analysis of
the main development challenges in the region and offers suggestions on how to meet them. It
provides an overview of West Africa’s abundant resources, examining not only economic and natural
resources but also human, social and cultural capital. Finally, it presents the perspectives of six
prominent West Africans involved in the development of their region.
This report has been produced within the framework of a joint initiative involving the Sahel and West
Africa Club (SWAC/OECD) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Countries covered: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia,
Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone
and Togo.
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isbn 978-92-64-05975-7 -:HSTCQE=UZ^\Z\:
44 2009 02 1 P
www.oecd.org/publishing
West African Studies
West African Perspectives
RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT
Michel Colin de Verdière - Christophe Perret - Raymond Weber
With contributions from
José Brito - Ayoko Mensah - Ken Ofori-Atta -
Doumbo Ogobara - Aminata Traoré - Lionel Zinsou
This document has been produced by the Sahel and West Africa Club/OECD
with the financial assistance of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), the European Commission, Italy and France.
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
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address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD is also at
the forefront of efforts to understand and to help governments respond to new developments and
concerns, such as corporate governance, the information economy and the challenges of an
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The OECD member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea,
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standards agreed by its members.
The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this publication are the sole
responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of OECD or of the
governments of its member countries or those of SWAC, ECOWAS or the European Union.
Also available in French under the title:
Cahiers de l’Afrique de l’Ouest
Perspectives ouest-africaines
LES RESSOURCES POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT
Corrigenda to OECD publications may be found on line at: www.oecd.org/publishing/corrigenda.
Cover illustration: © Daniel Krüger/Grand Krü, Berlin
© SWAC/OECD and ECOWAS 2009
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rapport_AO_GB:maquette_rapport_AO 12/08/09 17:22 Page 3
SWAC / OECD
T
heClubduSahelwascreatedin1976attheinitiativeofOECDmembercountriesinresponseto
theseveredroughtseffectingtheSahelandthesubsequentfoodcrises.In2001,itsGoverningBoard
extendeditsgeographiccoveragetoincludeallofWestAfricawhichconsistsofthefifteenmember
StatesoftheEconomicCommunityofWestAfricanStates(ECOWAS)aswellasCameroon,Chadand
Mauritania.
AdministrativelyattachedtotheOECD,theSahelandWestAfricaClub(SWAC)isledbyaParis-based
Secretariat relying on a network of West African partners and experts as well as OECD member
countries.Itsspecificityliesinitsapproachcombiningdirectfield-levelinvolvementwithanalyses
oftheWestAfricancontext.
TheSWACpromotestheregionaldimensionofdevelopment,supportstheformulationofjointand
intergovernmentalpoliciesasdesiredbythecountriesoftheregion,andpromotesdialoguewithOECD
countriesforacoherentunderstandingofthechangesandtrendstakingplaceinWestAfrica.
Toknowmore…
www.oecd.org/csao
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ECOWAS
T
heEconomicCommunityofWestAfricaStates(ECOWAS)wascreatedbysixteencountries1inLagos
on29May1975.Itaimstopromoteregionalintegrationinalleconomicactivitysectors,inparticular
industry,transport,telecommunications,energy,agriculture,naturalresourcesand tradeaswellas
withinmonetary,financial,socialandculturalissues.
Overthelastfewyears,ECOWAShasbegunaseriesofinstitutionalreformsthelastonebeingthe
transformationofitsExecutiveSecretariatintoaCommissionin2006.Inoperationsince2007,the
Commissionhasnine(9)members.
The ECOWAS Executive Secretariat transformation into a Commission required a structural re-
organisation and a clear definition of its areas of expertise thus assuring its effectiveness.This
transformationunderscorestheCommission’skeyroleintheCommunity’sinstitutionalsystem.The
Commission is headed by a president who co-ordinates the activities of all of the Community’s
institutions. He is responsible for the preparation and implementation of decisions made at the
Conference of Heads of State and government as well as the regulations set out by the Council of
Ministers.
The Commission was thus able to re-position itself by improving its organisational structure, its
proceduresandmanagement,aswellasbuildingitscapacitiestoeffectivelyrespondtonewchallenges
andneedsforthewell-beingoftheAfricanpeople.
PrioritiesweresettorefocusoftheCommission’sactivitiesprogrammeaswellastheco-ordination
withthevariousprogrammesofregionalandcontinentaldevelopmentorganisationsandinstitutions
suchastheAfricanUnion(AU),theEconomicCommissionforAfrica(ECA), otherbodiesoftheUnited
Nations,theAfricanDevelopmentBank(AfDB)andtheWestAfricanEconomicandMonetaryUnion
(UEMOA).
1. Benin,BurkinaFaso,CapeVerde,Côted’Ivoire,theGambia,Ghana,Guinea,Guinea-Bissau,Liberia,Mali,Mauritania(whichwithdrew
in1999),Niger,Nigeria,Senegal,SierraLeoneandTogo.
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FOREWORD
Foreword
W
hiletheeffectsofsoaringoilandfoodpricescausedconcernin2007-2008,theeconomicand
socialimpactsin2008-2009ofthefinancialcrisisremindusthatWestAfrica,liketherestoftheworld,
alsofacesseriousuncertaintiesintheshort-andmedium-term.
West Africa is facing great challenges. It needs to feed, house, train and care for a fast-growing
population.Ithastoadapttoanemergingmulti-polarglobalisation.Migrationismakingheadlines
andatthesametimetheregionisexperiencingaresurgenceofconflictsandtheemergenceofnew
crises.Inviewofthesechallenges,wethoughtitappropriatetoanalyseWestAfricanresources:How
hastheregiondevelopedthiscapitalsofar?Whatareitsprospectswithregardto futurechallenges?
Toanswerthesequestions,along-termperspectiveanalysisofitsresourcesisneeded.Societiesneed
outlooks and shared visions in order to progress. Leaders need to mobilise populations around
resourcesonwhichtobuildacommonfuture.TheSahelandWestAfricaClub/OECDandtheEconomic
CommunityofWestAfricanStateshavethereforedecidedtodocumentregionalrealitiesofWestAfrica
whicharesetoutinthisjointpublicationforabroaderpublic.
Thisreportisnotaprospectivestudy,butratheradiagnosisthatcanbeusefulforallactors.Itfocuses
ondescriptionandanalysisratherthanprescriptionandaimstoreflectthevarioussituationsand
opportunities rather than define the conventional way of thinking.The report also includes the
opinionsandvisionsofwell-knownWestAfricansactivelyinvolvedintheregion.Theircontributions
provideusefulinputsonthewaystoaddressthechallengesofsustainableandfairmanagementof
theregion’sextensiveresources.
Thereporthastwoclearconclusions:
Firstly,WestAfricansocial,culturalandhumancapitalshouldbeconsideredasimportantasnatural
andeconomiccapital.Furthermore,thankstoWestAfrica’sextraordinarycreativeandinnovativeforce,
thissocial,culturalandhumancapitalcanbecomeapillaroftheregion’sdevelopmentplansand
strategies.
Secondly,regional co-operation – or the combining of countries’ interests and the pooling of their
strengths–isapowerfultoolbywhichresourcescanbeoptimised.Substantialprogresshasbeenmade
ininfrastructure(electricityandgasnetworks,roads,telecommunications,etc.)andincombatingserious
pandemics.Promisingprospectsaretakingshapeinotherareas.
However,regionalco-operationisstillunder-exploitedandisstillfarfromtakinghold.Itshouldthough
enablethepopulationtomovefreely,totrain,receivehealthcare,obtainsupplies,setupbusinesses
orworkshops,transferfunds,invest,dobusinessaswellaspromoteartandculturalworks.
As national interests often vary, it is difficult for West Africa to present a unified front in the
internationalarena.TherecentEPAnegotiationsareagoodexample.Ifweallhadtobethesameto
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FOREWORD
formalliancesandco-operate,theEU,NAFTAandASEANwouldnotexist.WestAfrica’scapitallies
inthediversityofitspopulations.Itmustbuilditsidentityonthatwhichunitesitratherthanonwhat
candivideit,inparticularthedifferentresourcesofeachindividualcountry.
Thisreportdoesnotseektosetoutproposedresponsesbutaimstoprovidefoodforthoughtbased
onfactsratherthanprevailingideologiesorperceptions.Ifithelpstograduallyreplacethestilloften
widespread,darkimageoftheregionbythedepictionofvitalityandcreativitythatispromotedtoday
byWestAfrica’syouthormusic,forexample,itwillnothavebeeninvain.
NormandLAUZON Dr.MohamedIbnCHAMBAS
DirectoroftheSWAC/OECD PresidentoftheECOWASCommission
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Acknowledgements
T
hisreporthasbeenproducedbyaSahelandWestAfricaClubteamundertheguidanceofajoint
ECOWAS/SWACeditorialcommittee.
TheSWACeditorialteamwere:
MichelColindeVerdière
ChristophePerret
RaymondWeber
ThejointECOWAS/SWACeditorialcommitteewasco-chairedbyProfessorLambertNgaladjoBamba,
Commissioner responsible for ECOWAS macroeconomic policies, and Normand Lauzon, SWAC
Director.ItconsistedofAntoineKouassiandKalilouSyllaofECOWAS,inadditiontotheeditorialteam.
Theymetthreetimes:inDecember2007inOuagadougou,inFebruary2008inCotonouandinOctober
2008inOuagadougou.
TheinterviewswerecarriedoutbytheorganisationInter-réseauxDéveloppementrural(www.inter-
reseaux.org).TheywerecoordinatedbyAnnePerrinwiththecollaborationofMathildaAsante,Eyoun
Ngangué,IbrahimaSanéandSeydouYattara.
ThescientificcommitteewereMamadouDiouf,JohnIguéandPhilippeHugon.
The report was also the subject of two expert workshops held in Cotonou in February 2008 and
OuagadougouinOctober2008.
TheCotonouexpertmeeting(February2008)broughttogetherrepresentativesofECOWASandthe
SWAC,aswellasMs.CléopâtreKablanandMessrs.YadeMbaye,MamadouCissokho,LuisSilvaRui,
DanielDjedje,SouleymaneYeo,MadièyeMbodj,CheikhOumarSissoko,AmanJustinSeka,Sunday
Ajulo,AbayomiAkinyeye,JohnIgué,AmadouDiop,AbdoulayeZononandBabalySall.
The Ouagadougou expert meeting (October2008) broughttogetherrepresentativesfromECOWAS
andtheSWAC,aswellasMs.CléopâtreKablanandMessrs.VincentAdja,LassinaBakayoko,Mamadou
Dansokho,MamadouGueye,MohamedGueye,MohamadouMagha,IdrissaMohammedOuedraogo,
SalifouTiemtoré,RochYaoGnabeliandAbdoulayeZonon.
Thereporthasbenefitedfromthefollowingadhoccontributions:JohnIgué(casestudiesontheinformal
sector);ChristianKingombe,FedericaMarzo,Henri-BernardSolignac-LecomteandLuciaWegner,in
particular on the analysis and statistical information collected as part of the African Economic
OutlookjointreportwiththeAfBD(DEV/OECD);KarimDahou(DAF/OECD);BrianNgo(APF/OCDE);James
Hradsky(DCD/OCDE);SimonScott(DCD/OCDE);JeanJaujayonenergy(CGAAER–Agriculture,Food
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
andRuralAreasCouncil,FrenchMinistryofAgricultureandFisheries);MichelLavalonminingand
oil(DGCID–DirectorateGeneralofInternationalCooperationandDevelopment,FrenchMinistryof
ForeignAffairs);SeydouTraoréandBenoîtSarronnaturalresources(AGRHYMETRegionalCentre/CILSS);
BizerkaCvjeticanin(Culturelink,Belgrade),ChantalDeltenre-DeBruycker(Ethnokids,Paris),Yacouba
Konaté (University of Abidjan), Francisco d’Almeida (Culture et Développement, Grenoble), Maté
Kovacs(OCPA,Maputo)onculturalcapital;JeanSénahoun(FAO)onfoodsecurity.
ThisreporthasbeenthesubjectofnumerousdiscussionswithSWACcolleagues:LaurentBossard,
MassaërDiallo,PhilippHeinrigs,LeonidasHitimama,FranckIgué,SaraMinard,GwénolaPossémé-
Rageau,KhadidjaSalah,JuliaWanjiruandJeanZoundi.
CoverbyDanielKrüger/GrandKrü,Berlin.
LayoutbyVifArgentCommunication
OriginalFrench.TranslatedbyHorizonsunderthesupervisionofLeslieDiamond.
Wewouldliketothankallcontributorsfortheircollaboration.
ThisreportwasmadepossiblebyfundingfromtheSWAC,ECOWAS,theEuropeanCommission,Italy
(ItalianDevelopmentCo-operation,MinistryofForeignAffairs)andFrance(MinistryofAgriculture
andFisheries/CGAAER).
NOTE
ThepresentationofWestAfricanresourcesisadeliberatelygeneralsummaryofamoredetailed
study.Readerswishingtofindoutmoreaboutaparticularsubjectshouldrefertoafullelectronic
versionavailableatwww.oecd.org/csao/rapport-ao.ACD-Romversionisalsoavailable.Thefulltext
alsoincludesaselectedbibliographyofthemainreferencesused.
The2007review(politicalandeconomicsituationandpressreview)isalsoavailableintheseformats.
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
Table of Contents
LISTOFABBREVIATIONS...............................................................................................................................11
SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................................................13
PRESENTATIONOFTHEREGION..................................................................................................................17
PART1.SEVENCHALLENGESFORTHEREGION......................................................................................23
Populationandmigration...........................................................................................................24
Societyandgovernance..............................................................................................................27
Cultureanddevelopment...........................................................................................................30
Economy,wealthandknowledge...............................................................................................33
Agriculture,foodandmarkets...................................................................................................36
Economyandenergypolicy........................................................................................................39
Regionalco-operation..................................................................................................................42
PART2.DEVELOPMENTRESOURCES.........................................................................................................45
Chapter1.Naturalcapital..............................................................................................................................47
Ecosystems....................................................................................................................................48
Waterresources............................................................................................................................50
FisheryResources.........................................................................................................................52
Mining,oilandgas.......................................................................................................................54
Chapter2.Social,culturalandhumancapital..........................................................................................57
Artisticcreativityandculturalcreation....................................................................................58
Religionsandlanguages..............................................................................................................60
Humancapital..............................................................................................................................62
Knowledge.....................................................................................................................................64
Chapter3.Economiccapital..........................................................................................................................67
Networkinfrastructure................................................................................................................68
Informaleconomy........................................................................................................................70
Economicandfinancialresources.............................................................................................72
PART3.WESTAFRICANVISIONS...............................................................................................................75
JoséBrito........................................................................................................................................76
AyokoMensah...............................................................................................................................81
KenOforiAtta...............................................................................................................................87
DoumboOgobara..........................................................................................................................92
AminataDramaneTraoré............................................................................................................97
LionelZinsou..............................................................................................................................102
POSTFACE.....................................................................................................................................................109
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