Book Description: West African regional cooperation and development edited by Julius Emeka Okolo and Stephen Wright. Boulder : Westview Press, 1990. ISBN: 08133735490. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) offers one of the strongest and most respected examples of regional cooperation and serves as a model for the rest of Africa. In this study of development among the 16 ECOWAS states, contributors analyze the structure and development of ECOWAS as well as its interaction with other francophone organizations and smaller specialized groupings of states within the region. Then a detailed survey is given of development issues in the region which have diverse colonial backgrounds and governmental systems. Because the issues presented here are of significance to the entire African continent, the discussion helps assess the trends and strategies being adopted in other regions and contributes significantly to the debate concerning the role that regional cooperation can play in alleviating the worsening socio-economic conditions now facing African countries.