The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was created by the Treaty of Lagos on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. ECOWAS was established to promote cooperation and integration in order to create an economic and monetary union for promoting economic growth and development in West Africa.

State parties

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  Benin
  Burkina Faso
  Cape Verde (Signed in 1977)
  Gambia
  Ghana
  Guinea-Bissau
  Liberia
  Mali
  Nigeria
  Senegal
  Sierra Leone
  Togo
  Guinea – suspended from Community after 2008 coup d'état[1][2]
  Niger – suspended from Community after 2009 auto-coup[3]
  Ivory Coast - suspended from Community after 2010 elections[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ AU Stänger av Guinea.
  2. ^ "African Union bars Guinea on coup" bbc.co.uk 29 December 2008 Link accessed 29/12/08
  3. ^ "Regional group suspends Niger on disputed election". news.yahoo.com 20 October 2009
  4. ^ "Cote d'Ivoire expelled from Ecowas". aljazeera.net 7 December 2010