Political, Covid-19 delays likely to stall West Africa’s eco

Even before the coronavirus pandemic locked down governments, the introduction of the eco to replace the CFA franc and other West African currencies was in doubt amid technical and political problems. A key player in its creation, Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, said in late January the eco’s launch could be delayed if participating states in the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union (Uemoa) and Anglophone countries including Nigeria and Ghana could not meet the basic convergence criteria to launch a single currency for the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).