Which country is NOT a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)?

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the one country that is not an ECOWAS member. So four options are members and one is not.

Concept: ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) was founded in 1975 by the Treaty of Lagos. It is a regional bloc for economic integration in West Africa. Its founding members included Nigeria, Benin (then Dahomey), Togo, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta), Niger, Mauritania, and Gambia. Cape Verde joined later, in 1977, and Guinea-Bissau also joined in 1975.

Step-by-step check:

• A. Benin Republic: a West African country and a founding member of ECOWAS.
• B. Cameroon: located in Central Africa, not West Africa. It belongs to ECCAS (Economic Community of Central African States) and CEMAC. It is not an ECOWAS member.
• C. Mali: a West African country and a founding member of ECOWAS. Note that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger announced their withdrawal in 2024-2025, but at the time of this 2002 question, Mali was a member.
• D. Senegal: a West African country and a founding member of ECOWAS.
• E. Togo: a West African country and a founding member of ECOWAS.

Answer: Cameroon is the only country listed that was never a member of ECOWAS.

Exam tip: Remember that ECOWAS countries are in West Africa. Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, and Congo belong to Central Africa. When you see a country that is on the edge of the region, ask yourself, "Which regional bloc does it belong to?" Also remember that Nigeria and Cameroon share a border, which makes Cameroon a common trick option.