Benue State University, Makurdi

The Role of Transgovernmental Networks in Combating Terrorism in the West African Sub-Region

Adole Raphael Audu, Manpa'a Aliyu Musa & Haruna Ayuba

Abstract

An increasing number of scholars and observes have described the European Union (EU) as an advanced form of transgovernmentalism. Some referred to it as Europeanization, multilevel governance, administrative fusion etc. Transgovernmentalist thesis however, states that European politics is shaped by the growing interaction of national government officials at every level of decision-making process within the European Union. This paper therefore examines the transgovernmentalist thesis in the West African sub region by looking at patterns of formal' and informal cooperation in the framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as it combats terrorism. The data is based on the secondary source and content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Nevertheless, this form of cooperation is hampered by ideological differences and suspicion between the Anglophone and Francophone countries affected by the Boko Haram insurgents. The paper recommends amongst others that government units working across borders in the affected countries should be divided among different countries that want to demarcate the domestic from the international. There should be interaction with their foreign counterparts directly without much monitoring by foreign offices or senior executive branch officials so as to promote cooperation in the region.

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