AFRICAN UNION (AU) REGIONAL INTEGRATION AGENDA AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WEST AFRICAN SUBREGION: A STUDY OF NIGERIA AND NIGER REPUBLIC

Abstract

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was transformed into the African Union (AU) in July year 2002, due to the resolution of African leaders to reposition the continental organization for better performance. This paper examines AU regional integration agenda and socio-economic development in West African sub-Region: a study of Nigeria and Niger Republic. The two countries share a common land boundary which covers over thousand kilometers. Historically speaking, they were both colonial creation of Britain and France respectively which was said to have born out of series of negations, treaties and conquests during the first decade of the 20thCentury. By 1960, the two countries got their political independence and have since exchange diplomatic missions and entered into various bilateral relations which border on trade, industry, culture, education and politics with a view to improving the socio-economic and political life of the citizenry. The duo established the Nigeria- Niger Joint Commission for cooperation in March, 1971 as a strategy towards promoting their socio-economic development. However, one of the perceived major problems to effective trade and integration in most Regional Economic Commissions is lack of political will. This is because most countries resist liberalization and tend toward protectionist policies to protect trade. Premised on this fact, how the AU hoped to effectively achieve its integration agenda particularly, as it affects Nigeria and Niger republic remains a serious challenge and a major concern for this paper. Methodologically, the paper adopted qualitative method that uses interview as instrument for data collection and this was supported with documents data. The findings from the results revealed that in terms of the impact of AU regional integration agenda on socio-economic development of Nigeria and Niger republic, there has been a lot of achievements. The two countries are said to be intertwined politically, religiously and socioculturally and any other forms one can think of. The findings from the results further identified major challenges confronting the AU in the integration of the two countries and Africa at large. These include; lack of political will; limited intra-African trade; funding problem; underdeveloped infrastructure etc. For better performance of the organization and the two countries, the paper recommended among others; the need for strong political will on the part of African leaders to turn policies and resolutions into actions at national levels