Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

A regional authority formed in 1975 by the Treaty of Lagos to promote economic trade, intergovernmental cooperation and a common currency among its members. The group is comprised of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Burkina Faso, and Cape Verde.