Democracy and Development in West Africa (ECOWAS)

Democracy and Economic Development is a matter of absolute choice. In the context of West Africa and Africa, contemporary democracy and economic development is a matter of choice and the interplay of internal and external forces at play. The long-term negative effects of colonial legacies and lack of strong democratic institutions are the exact outcome of democracy and development in West Africa. Studies show countries that have strong democratic intuitions develop faster and enjoy the dividends of democracy and development. Ghana is a good example of the dividends of democracy in West Africa, regardless democracy has never been practiced perfectly in any country in its true meaning. A new economic system is needed that can correct the wrongs and shortsightedness of neoliberal economic theories of capitalism. This will require a bold step in a new direction.