Economic Development of ECOWAS Member States: The Impact of Intra-regional Trade by Nádia Santos, Severino Almeida, José Júlio Sanches, and Katy Duarte University of Cabo Verde, Praia [Note: Due to space limitations, some of the tables that accompany this article have been removed. The interested reader can contact the authors for the tables via <nadibv@hotmail.com> and <nadia.santos@unitelmais.cv>.] Abstract This paper provides an assessment of the impact of intraregional trade on the economic development of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The goal is to determine whether intraregional trade has a positive impact on the economies of member states. For this purpose, the analysis is based on data collected from the member states, focusing on economic information as well as official statistics produced by international institutions. Introduction The major research question probed in this paper is the following: Does intraregional trade have a positive impact on the economies of ECOWAS member states? Based on this question, the following hypothesis with its null is suggested for empirical testing: H1: Intraregional trade has a positive impact on the economies of ECOWAS member states. H0: Intraregional trade does not have a positive impact on the economies of ECOWAS member states. The Federalist, Functionalist, and Neo-functionalist Theories of regional integration and qualitative research methodology with descriptive and explanatory case study designs (more on these later) are employed in this article and based on the analyses of consultancy reports, documentation, papers, institutional sites, and statistical reports. The rest of the paper is structured as follows: (a) theoretical framework, (b) research methodology and designs, (c) Africa’s regional integration: a brief historical perspective, (d) ECOWAS regional integration, (e) economic development in the ECOWAS countries, (f) some constraints to internal trade in ECOWAS, and (g) conclusion and recommendations. 7 Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.11, no.10, August 2018