Lagos — Two weeks ago, the Nigerian Government approved unilateral production of a new Nigerian/ ECOWAS passport, expected to cost $138,849,740 million. If this project is successfully seen through, it would have significant impact on the economies of participating countries of ECOWAS, government claims. In an interview with Professor Bola Akinterinwa of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), an expert on the West African sub region, Abimbola Akosile seeks to examine the various implications of the ECOWAS passport for citizens and states in the sub-region.

What is the focus for the ECOWAS Passport project?

It is part and parcel of the Protocol for free movement of people and goods. The ECOWAS Treaty provides for community citizenship and proof of that is for an individual to own a community passport to enable them travel within the region. It is an effort to promote in a general sense of African integration through regional integration. The ECOWAS passport is a supra-national instrument for travel, which all the ECOWAS States have recognised and are asking the international community to recommend. Consequently, it is more important than any of the national passports within the West African region. The holder is not considered a foreigner, and is free to pass easily through international borders without the rigour faced by non-ECOWAS citizens. It is meant to enhance regional integration.

If people move from one place to the other, they move with goods and funds to make their stay comfortable. Intra-ECOWAS trade is about 10% of total trade volume within the region, and if intra-regional movement is encouraged, with ease of travel, the flow of goods will increase, which will impact positively on the volume of trade. This will boost the revenue of any country in the region; any funds carried by the holder will help grow the host economy.

Holders have regional identity as West Africans and this provides an opportunity for special treatment in host countries in terms of rights of residence, employment, recognition and placement. Those who travel to work in other countries in the region can send some money back home to develop their home economies, while still investing in their host countries to ensure all-round development.

What is the economic implication of this project?

As I stated earlier, it will enhance free movement of people and greater mobility of goods. Also Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is likely to increase. The intra-community trade would also be promoted. It has the potential of lowering the high rate of informal underground economic activities (smuggling). In West Africa, informal trade accounts for more than 70% of the total trade volume in the region, while recorded trade is about 30%. If people are allowed to move freely with their goods, resort to underground activities will reduce.

There would be a better understanding of the various economic opportunities existing in the countries of the region. This is because the flow of the people across borders will help information dissemination on trade and other economic activities in the countries in the region. This may vary from country to country, but there would be a collective improvement.

Would free movement not affect migration pattern and result in brain drain, with people moving to 'better' countries to improve their conditions?

No, it won't lead to brain drain. When people leave their country in search of greener pastures, they initially create a vacuum, which in turn creates an opportunity for other people to occupy that vacuum. When people travel out, it creates an opportunity for the unemployed to have access to means of livelihood. Government and the citizenry are able to see more clearly and redress the situation. Yes, there can be problems, but that can only apply in a country where man-power needs are insufficient. In other words, in Nigeria, there are too many qualified competent people, and whether or not people travel, you still have other people on the waiting list.

In Congo in 1960, a country that was bigger than Nigeria in terms of territorial size could only boast of just one medical doctor, whereas Nigeria used to send lawyers, Attorney-Generals, and even medical personnel to many countries e.g. Gambia. So the impact will not be really felt here. Where some countries have only five newspapers, Lagos alone has more than five, and Nigeria has more than 100, with too many journalists who are qualified.

So the advantages are there. When people move out, they spread Nigerian culture. For example, there are more than 2 million Nigerians in Cote D'Ivoire, and some of them travel home, bringing foreign goods with them. They also take back Nigerian goods when returning, so there is a trade balance. Even when Nigerians leave for other countries, they always contribute to the economic development of their host countries as expatriates. It is all a question of moving from one place to the other, and it creates an opportunity for human development and employment.

What impact will the passport's possession have on crime, and its control?

Cross-border crime is not a function of possession of passport. The immigration officials are there to check holders to see those who are criminals or not. The passport only ensures that you are not seen as a foreigner. For example, when you hold a Nigerian passport and you travel to the United Kingdom, you will be asked to take a particular route because of the conception of Nigerians as drug barons, 419ners and criminals. The holder of an ECOWAS passport will only be prevented from those unnecessary checks and harassment.

There is nothing to suggest that there would be an increase in cross-border crime. When ECOWAS passports are given out and people are travelling, it will compel governments to check the flow of human traffic.

Will the regional passport hasten the regional currency project?

ECOWAS was supposed to have had a monetary union as far back as 1992, but member states do not have the same level of development. The regional passport will hasten the regional currency project by all means. Currently, there are problems of convertibility of various currencies e.g. Cedi, Leone, Naira, CFA e.t.c. The more people travel, the greater the problem of the convertibility of used currencies. The West African Clearing house has been having this problem of convertibility.

Since ECOWAS passport is meant to enhance human flow of traffic, and since the people carry goods and money, it is necessary to have a common form of money, which will be tenable in all countries in the region and beyond. When people move enmasse and queue to convert their monies, they would create problem. There would be a need for an ECOWAS currency that would be convertible to the euro, pound, or dollar.

The ECOWAS authority has fixed a time limit, any time from now, and it is expected that the increased flow of human traffic would necessitate and facilitate a common currency.

What impact will the passport have on immigration and trade balance?

The possession of the passport will facilitate the work of immigration officials considerably. Rather than dealing with fifteen national passports, if everybody holds the new ECOWAS passports, the officials would be checking only one type and this would hasten the process. Secondly, the passports would be centrally produced, and those who try to forge documents or make bogus and fraudulent claims will be checked. It will also enable the various government offices, especially immigration to have better documentation on movement of people.

On trade balance, when more goods move, the volume of trade would increase. It would boost trade and affect positively or negatively trade balance, depending on the countries affected. For example, if Cameroon citizens come to buy plastic from Nigeria, and bring nothing in return, there would be an imbalance, depending on who is gaining what.

How will this affect the relationship of ECOWAS and other regions of Africa?

The regional passport project will enhance regional integration. It will also have encouraging fallout and be a model for other African regions and countries. It will be the first to be done by any region in Africa and it will enable ECOWAS consolidate its leadership and position in Africa significantly. This is because any holder of the passport will be looked at as West African and in the event of molestation; the whole region would be expected to retaliate.

Apart from regional passport or currency, what other policies would help develop the region?

The only way forward is to ask all the governments in the region to ratify and implement all the existing and additional protocols that have been signed since 1975. Some examples are the telecommunication protocol, the computer (ASCUIDA) project, which would help facilitate immigration, customs e.t.c. The implementation of these protocols would help strengthen and develop the West Africa region.