Editing ECOWAS (section)

=== West African Monetary Zone ===
{{See also|Eco (currency)}}
Formed in 2000, the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) is a group of six countries within ECOWAS that plan to introduce a common currency called the [[eco (currency)|eco]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.modernghana.com/news/219137/1/common-west-africa-currency-eco-in-2015.html |title=Common West Africa currency: ECO in 2015 |newspaper=MC Modern Ghana |access-date=17 June 2013 |archive-date=11 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611054839/http://www.modernghana.com/news/219137/1/common-west-africa-currency-eco-in-2015.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The six member states of WAMZ are [[Gambia]], [[Ghana]], [[Guinea]], [[Nigeria]] and [[Sierra Leone]] who founded the organisation together in 2000 and [[Liberia]] who joined on 16 February 2010. Apart from Guinea, which is francophone, they are all English-speaking countries. Along with [[Mauritania]], Guinea opted out of the [[CFA franc]] currency shared by all other former French colonies in [[West Africa|West]] and [[Central Africa]].

The WAMZ attempts to establish a strong stable currency to rival the CFA franc, whose [[Fixed exchange-rate system|exchange rate is tied]] to that of the euro and is guaranteed by the [[Trésor public|French Treasury]]. The eventual goal is for the CFA franc and eco to merge, giving all of West and Central Africa a single, stable currency. The launch of the new currency is being developed by the [[West African Monetary Institute]] based in [[Accra]], Ghana.

With the exit of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the body, two structural options for a single currency could emerge: the "Sahel" for the AES and the "Eco" for the ECOWAS member countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linfodrome.com/economie/109105-afrique-de-l-ouest-une-region-bientot-deux-monnaies-le-sahel-aes-et-l-eco-cedeao |title=Afrique de l'Ouest / Une région, bientôt deux monnaies : Le Sahel (AES) et l'Eco (CEDEAO) |work=linfodrome |date=7 May 2025 |access-date=8 May 2025}}</ref>

==== Membership ====
* {{GAM}} (founding member)
* {{GHA}} (founding member)
* {{GIN}} (founding member)
* {{LBR}} (joined on 16 February 2010)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Supplementary Wamz Payment System Development Project the Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia |publisher=Africa Development Bank Group |year=2011 |url=http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-hz0-002/ |access-date=7 May 2011 |archive-date=20 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320054136/http://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/project-portfolio/project/p-z1-hz0-002/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WAMZ gets US$7.8 million grant |work=Accra Daily Mail |year=2011 |url=http://www.accra-mail.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27733:wamz-gets-us-78-million-grant&catid=81:business&Itemid=211 |access-date=7 May 2011 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805043015/http://ww17.accra-mail.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27733:wamz-gets-us-78-million-grant&catid=81:business&Itemid=211 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{NGR}} (founding member)
* {{SLE}} (founding member)