Challenges of Migration Policy in West African Countries: Contradictions Between Regional Integration and National Interests (The Case of Nigeria and Ghana)

The article is dedicated to analyzing the contradictions between regional integration and national interests within the migration policies of West African countries. It focuses on the role of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in regulating migration processes and ensuring the freedom of movement for citizens. Using Nigeria and Ghana as examples, it examines the reasons and forms of divergence between the commitments stemming from the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and the internal priorities of the member states. The paper highlights the historical, economic, and legal prerequisites of migration policy and identifies key socio-economic factors influencing the extent of its implementation. Particular attention is paid to the impact of national protectionist measures on the effectiveness of the integration process in the West African region. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research relies on the principles of regionalism and neofunctionalism, which allow for examining integration processes as the result of the interaction between national interests and supranational institutions. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the comprehensive examination of ECOWAS migration policy through the lens of the national interests of key countries in the region and in identifying mechanisms that hinder the full implementation of the principle of freedom of movement. The article demonstrates that, despite the existence of a developed regulatory framework and institutional mechanisms of ECOWAS, the member states, primarily Nigeria and Ghana, apply its provisions selectively, based on internal socio-economic and political considerations. The author concludes that these contradictions limit the potential for regional integration, intensify the unevenness of migration flows, and maintain the dependence of regional countries on national regulators. The need to harmonize national legislation with ECOWAS norms and to strengthen the role of supranational institutions for the formation of an effective migration space in West Africa is emphasized.

ECOWAS, regional integration, migration policy, Nigeria, Ghana, freedom of movement, national interests, labor migration, cross-border cooperation, West African region