Project Description

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Nigeria, being the most populous country in Africa, has been described as “the giant of Africa, benevolent hegemony”. Besides, Nigeria gained independence in October 1st 1960. By the time of her independence, Nigeria‟s foreign policy guidelines had been formulated by the departing colonial power. These were embodied in a maiden foreign policy statement made by the first civilian prime minister on 20 August 1960 just a few months before formal independence. According to him, Nigeria would follow an independent policy founded on Nigeria‟s interest and consistent with the moral and democratic principles on which our constitution is based.
Paradoxically, it is Nigeria‟s own dominant position in the region and the implication of her leader‟s commitment to the western model of development in circumstances (National as well as Global) hostile to such a course that may well be the most formidable obstacle to the emergence of the community. Indeed, it can be argued that ECOWAS drew considerable strength from the successful negotiation which had been concluded by the EEC with the combined representatives of African, Caribbean and Pacific states as contained in the Lome convention. This unity in the face of a strong and equality United Europe (not withstanding some minor differences within the EEC) impressed, Nigerian leaders in a way that an Economic Community of West Africa, modeled after the European Economic Community, was an immediate imperative.
This conviction led Nigeria to expand a lot of her resources in the campaign for the establishment of ECOWAS. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Resolutions 142 (viii) and 145 (vii) passed at its seventh session held in Nairobi, Kenya in February, 1965 recommended that member-states of the commission should establish, as soon as possible on sub-regional basis, an inter-governmental machinery for harmonizing their economic and social development. The relative success of the integrative process in other sub-regions of Africa especially in the East African Sub-region with its East African Community provided the stimulus to the countries in the West African Sub-region to evolve their own form of economic co-operation. The arguments for an economic integration always appear overwhelming.
In West Africa, a series of conference sponsored by the ECA culminated in many countries signing the Article of Association for a West African Economic Community in Accra in 1967. A year later, another conference in Monrovia produced a protocol which set up, on paper, A West African Economic Grouping. It also provided that West African Leaders should meet in Ouagadougou, capital of Upper Volta, to sign a treaty of Economic Union. That summit never took place. The only achievement of the group was the preparation by Nigeria and Guinea of priority studies of areas of co-operation.
As mentioned earlier, there had been various attempt at regional co-operation in West Africa before the attainment of independence but these had very high colonial flavour, as such arrangements were dictated by the colonial powers. The countries under France established socio-economic and political co-operation among themselves while those under Britain did the same. So, any form of co-operation between countries across colonial lines were non-existent. While France administered it West African territories separately but only centralized the various services in the territories under a single administration. At independence, these co-operative arrangements collapsed except in the former French West African countries that maintained the Union Douamere de L‟ Afrique de L‟ Qaust (UDAO) which was founded in 1959. The UDAO went through a lot of transformation and from 1972 became known as Communaute de L‟ AfriqueCentrale (UDEAC).,….

1.2 Statement of Problem
Be that as it may, its role in the development of international organizations in Africa cannot be over emphasized. Nigeria over the years, have been an active player in the development of international organizations in Africa and in other parts of the globe and in conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa and the rest of the world despite the myriads criticisms from many countries including those in Africa and their non-appreciation of the role of Nigeria in the development of Africa, and their claims that Nigeria is playing host to many contradictions, socially, politically and economically, to the extent that Nigeria‟s quest for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council is seen as inconsistent with the domestic situation Nigeria has been championing the case of the whole of Africa. The survival and the development of international organization would have been futile without Nigeria as catalytic agent.

Nigeria‟s contributions and her role in the reversal of the phantom coup in Sao Tome and principle during the Leon Sullivan Summit in Abuja in 2003 is a case in point. Emphasis must also be made on her role under the fourth republic, as well as the critical areas of Nigeria‟s intervention, such as the Chairmanship of the African Union (AU) under President Olusegun Obasanjo, Africa Peer Review Mechanism, coverage of the African Union in the Nigerian press, peacemaking and peacekeeping among others.
1.3 Objective of Study
The main objective of this study is to empirically evaluate Nigeria‟s role in the establishment of international organizations in Africa with reference to ECOWAS. This broad objective is however broken into the following specific objectives;
1. To establish whether or not the role played by Nigeria in the establishment of ECOWAS is significant.
2. To ascertain the perception of other countries in Africa on the relevance of Nigeria‟s role in the establishment of ECOWAS.
3. To explore Nigeria‟s motivation for her commitment towards the establishment of ECOWAS.
1.4 Research Questions
Based on the above stated objectives, the following research questions are developed to be answered in the course of this study;
1. Are there any significant role played by Nigeria in the establishment of ECOWAS?
2. What is the perception of other countries in Africa on the relevance of the role played by Nigeria in the establishment of ECOWAS?

3. What is Nigeria‟s motivation for her commitment towards the establishment of ECOWAS?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
Based on the research questions raised, the following null hypotheses have been formulated;
H01: There are no significant role played by Nigeria in the establishment of ECOWAS
H02: Other countries in Africa have no perception on the relevance of Nigeria‟s role in the establishment of ECOWAS
H03: Nigeria has no motivation for her commitment towards the establishment of ECOWAS.
1.6 Significance of Study
As it has been briefly looked into in the earlier part of this work, and as it would be discussed in the second chapter, it would become obvious the roles Nigeria played in the establishment of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS). This study highlights the importance of Nigeria and her contributions to the African continent. It will be seen that no other country had the capacity to push for the establishment of this important organization like Nigeria did. Furthermore, this study undermines the development and growth of the organization as well as the challenges they are facing with the possible solutions to these problems. This work will also serve as a guide to future researches who aims to know more about the roles Nigeria played in the establishment and development of ECOWAS. I believe there is a significant body of knowledge to this work.
1.7 Scope of Study
This research is based on the roles Nigeria plays in the establishment of international organizations, with the attention turned to the country‟s‟ role in the creations and impacts of

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