Perspectives on governance in West Africa : recommendations and plan of action

Abstract

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has been in the forefront of the good governance debate, repeatedly pointing out the centrality of governance factors underlying the contemporary African predicament and stressing the interrelationship between good governance and sustained economic development. The African Governance Project seeks to monitor and keep track of the progress that various countries are making towards enhancing democratic values and governance. The project is complementary to government's efforts and it seeks to establish consensus among a wide range of stakeholders on how good governance can be enhanced on the continent. West Africa continues to be a sub region plagued by political conflicts and strong willed political interest groups that wreak havoc on the economic and social development of the sub region. A number of constraints still persist mainly in the form of scarce institutional resources and of socio-cultural practices that need to be addressed, if the vision of a truly representative and participative system is to be fully translated into reality. The main findings from the studies are captured under political representation, institutional effectiveness and accountability and economic management.