West Africa’s Development, the West African Diaspora, and Preparation for Future Pandemics

The Need for an Ecowas University System

Bibliographic Data

ID22008008
AuthorsAmadu Jacky Kaba (0009-0003-6559-7733, University of The Gambia, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume14
Issue01
Pages69-94
Publication date2024-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociology Mind (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2160-0848 • E-ISSN: 2160-083X
PublisherScientific Research Publishing, Inc. (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4236/sm.2024.141005
OpenAlexW4391146449
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited24

This paper examines future pandemics in West Africa, the region’s development, the role of the West African diaspora, especially in the United States, and the need to establish an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) University System. West African countries were not as seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of infections and deaths. With an area of 6.144 sq. km (62% of the area of the United States), it is endowed with important natural resources, including, gold, diamonds, oil, natural gas, fish, uranium, timber, phosphates, bauxite, iron ore, arable land, coal, rubber, and hydropower. It has one of the fastest-rising and youngest populations in the world, increasing from 261 million in 2006 to 442 million in 2023. West Africa has made significant economic and social progress in the past two decades. Its infant mortality rate declined from 86.40 deaths per 1000 of the population in 2006 to 48.7 deaths per 1000 in 2020. Its death rate declined from 14.47 deaths per 1000 of its population in 2005 to 7.9 deaths per 1000 in 2020. Its GDP increased from $377.84 billion in 2005 to $1.714 trillion in 2021. West African immigrants in the United States, in addition to Black Americans of West African descent, are a big portion of the 50.1 million population, with a net worth of $6.21 trillion as of December 31, 2022. They have contributed substantially to the economic and social progress in West Africa. The spending power of Black Americans by 2020 was $1.6 trillion. By December 31, 2022, there were 5.547 million Black Americans aged 18 and over with at least a bachelor’s degree, and 442,000 with doctoral degrees. In 2019, West Africans accounted for 926,000 (44.2%) of the 2,094,000 African immigrants in the United States. In 2019, 41% of African immigrants in the United States aged 25 and over had at least a bachelor’s degree. In 2015, African immigrants in the United States earned $55.1 billion and paid $10.1 billion in federal taxes and $4.7 billion in state taxes. In 2022, remittances to West Africa were $33 billion. The paper recommends that to prepare for future pandemics, ECOWAS must establish a University System with campuses located in each member state. Each campus must have a university hospital, with research centers or institutes. ECOWAS must collaborate with the West African diaspora in the United States to teach or work at the ECOWAS University System in person or remotely. The West African diaspora must also establish a fund for the ECOWAS University System that must be no less than $2 billion

Development economics · Diaspora · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Pandemic · Political science · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Law · Medicine · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Regional Socio-Economic Development Trends

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