This book presents a number of key studies pertaining to the most
pressing challenges of economic regional integration in West Africa. The
issues of monetary coordination, foreign exchange volatility, taxation,
savings and macroeconomic convergence are investigated from a regional
perspective. The characteristics of West Africa's trade policy are
reviewed and assessed in comparison to that of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC). The extent to which regional integration
can tackle the challenge of unemployment is the focus of studies on
labour markets. Development of the private sector and coordination of
regional cross-border transportation are examined through the lens of
economic collaboration between Arab and African countries. The book
provides fresh new answers to persistent development questions and sheds
new light on long-held views that are either incomplete or no longer
true. It also opens new perspectives on the search for sustainable
avenues for Africa's development. In this regard, it may contribute to
the emergence of a new paradigm on Africa's development process and its
science-based, policy-oriented implementation.