Multinational Cooperation For Development In West Africa

Multinational Cooperation for Development in West Africa discusses the obstacles and prospects of organizations that were formed to facilitate considerable cooperation in the developing countries of West Africa. The book describes and analyzes the cooperation movement and the United Nations system and role in fostering the process of cooperation in West Africa. A brief overview of West African characteristics; trends and analysis of development; history of the cooperation movement; issues regarding cooperation in West Africa; potentialities of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); and the impact of the United Nations on the growth of cooperation in the subregion are elucidated in the text. Students of international studies, researchers, economists, sociologists, political leaders of the West African region, and the staff of United Nations agencies will find this book invaluable.

"This book investigates the relationship that multinational firms form with local authorities and government in West Africa. It argues that informal partnerships at the local level can provide significant socio-economic benefits to communities and overcome shortfalls in state provision of infrastructure and collective goods and services. Drawing on in-depth case studies in Niger, Ghana and Liberia, the book demonstrates that decentralized partnerships benefit from lower transaction costs, whilst maintaining profitability and investment protection, whereas in formal relationships between multinationals and local government, asset specificity and uncertainty are high. By complying with informal rules, which are in many ways just as restrictive as formal rules, multinational firms can adapt and acculturate themselves, become actors of territorial authorities, and can get around the incompleteness of the contract that binds them to the State. Reflecting on a range of local projects (educational, infrastructural, health, micro-financial, entrepreneurial), this book provides a rich and detailed assessment of the interactions between local authorities and multinational firms. The book will be useful to upper level students and researchers across the fields of economics, business, sociology, anthropology, and African studies, as well as to development practitioners and regional and international organizations with in interest in the functioning of Multinational Corporations in local environments"--

Study of problems of economic development in developing countries of Africa, with particular reference to the need for multinational economic integration - covers past experience in economic relations, the need for effective decision making, co-operation in major economic sectors (incl. Agriculture, industrial development, trade agreements, infrastructure, etc.), equitable distribution of benefits (incl. Financial aspects), the role of UN-eca and OAU, etc. Bibliography, references and statistical tables.

Seminar paper from the year 2003 in the subject Business economics - Economic Policy, grade: A, ESCP Europe, language: English, abstract: Development in Africa has been an issue for many years now. Since the independence of most of the states in the 1960's, the western countries have tried to help the so- called third world countries to develop their economies and thus to lift their population out of poverty. The efforts were conducted through direct intervention or through the non-governmental organisation like the IMF or the UN. Despite decades of commitment and billion dollar efforts, most of Africa remains in a poor status with nearly half of its population living on less than one dollar per day. Since its independence regional frameworks have existed but only obtained little attention from international as well as from national side. But with the failure of most programmes and the ever growing stronger trend to regional trade agreements throughout the whole world, the frameworks in Africa have moved in the centre of attention. International organisations promote the further integration of these; national governments put the frameworks on the top of their agendas. The aim of this project is to show the possible influence of regional cooperation frameworks in the development process of the countries in the West-African region. The analysis was focused on two existent regional frameworks, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). During the analysis, the nature of the ECOWAS and the WAEMU is to be identified as well as possible differences in their approach of the regional development. The question that will be asked are how the influence of the unions exactly looks like, which effects this has on the members, how the unions evolved over the time and how they plan to develop in the future.

This book analyzes the current economic situations in African countries at the local, regional, and national level. It examines the growing interest from developed and developing countries to invest in Africa and their different reasons for doing so, which aren’t always aligned with the interests of African countries. Growth in African GDP has benefitted mainly multinational corporations while the rest of the population remains at the subsistence level, creating a smaller middle class and less opportunity for local businesses to flourish. This book offers potential models of cooperation which could create added value for both African countries and the MNCs investing in them.