To facilitate the movement of people from one member to another the Economic Community of West  African States (ECOWAS) has _________

Analyze the question

The question asks what ECOWAS has done specifically to facilitate the movement of people between member states. The key idea is free movement of persons.

Explain the concept

ECOWAS was founded in 1975 (Treaty of Lagos). One of its main goals is economic integration, which includes the free movement of persons, goods, and services. The 1979 Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment set this out. It was implemented in phases: the right of entry without a visa, then the right of residence, then the right of establishment. Citizens of member states can enter another member country without a visa and stay for up to 90 days with a valid travel document. ECOWAS also introduced the ECOWAS passport and travel certificate.

Solution: checking each option

• A. Created several border posts within member states: Border posts control and monitor crossings. More of them would not ease movement, and the aim of ECOWAS is to reduce barriers. This is wrong.
• B. Waived visa requirements for citizens of member countries: This directly removes a major barrier to travel and matches the Protocol on Free Movement. This is correct.
• C. Created one currency for all member countries: This relates to monetary integration, not the movement of people. The planned "Eco" currency has also not been fully implemented. This is wrong.
• D. Maintained regional peace and security through deployment of forces: This describes ECOMOG and the security role of ECOWAS. It is a real function, but it does not answer a question about movement of people. This is wrong.

Answer: B

Exam tip

Match the purpose in the question stem to the option. Here the key phrase is "movement of people", which points to visa waivers and free movement. Options C (currency) and D (security) are true statements about ECOWAS, but they answer different questions. WASSCE often uses such distractors.