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the economies of ASEAN and ALENA are doing remarkably well.In order to promote and address the challenges impeding the flowof goods and services within the sub-region, we need to take appropriatepolicy prescriptions. Member States would have to commit tothe effective structural diversification of production and exports. Theproduction of non-traditional export commodities with comparativeadvantage on regional and global markets must be encouraged. Governmentmight consider shifting their industrial development policiesand strategies towards diversified production lines, which aredriven by approaches based on the processing of local raw materialand on local innovation.Trade between ECOWAS Member States would not be improvedwith the current quality of our infrastructure. Transport infrastructureand services should be improved through maintaining and rehabilitatingexisting roads, expanding the road network to isolatedareas, improving railways networks, replacing obsolete and inappropriateequipment at ports, developing more dry ports to serve bothlandlocked countries and interior areas of coastal countries, and increasingair transport connectivity in the sub-region.To increase the free movement of the citizenry of the sub-region,ECOWAS introduced a common passport. In addition, citizens ofMember States do not have to have an entry permit or visa to moveacross the borders within the community. However, although ECO-WAS has a protocol on the right of residence, Member States are reluctantto fully implement it. It is about time that all state-signatoriesto the protocol fully operationalise it. This would also help promotetrade and investment within the sub-region.Let me now turn to the issue of poverty reduction strategies. I highlycommend ECOWAS for its medium term strategic plan for povertyreduction. Till now poverty reduction strategies have been countryspecific. ECOWAS is the first to take an innovative approach to tacklethe issue from a trans-boundary perspective.Compared to other regions of the developing world, most Africancountries, including those in the ECOWAS region, have made limitedprogress in reducing poverty and achieving the MDGs. Although Africa’sgrowth rate has improved in the last few years, it has been vol-Integrating Africa89