West Africa Sub-Region

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a solid geographical bloc of 15 states from Nigeria in the east to Mauritania in the west. The countries of Mauritania, Mali and Niger are located in the southern stretch of the Sahara Desert while the remaining countries are splayed out along the coastline. As a result of their respective colonial histories, these countries are divided into French and English-speaking states.

The francophone countries include the republics of Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Guinea and Senegal while the remaining states of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia have English as their official language. The Republic of Guinea Bissau is a Portuguese-speaking state to the south of Senegal .

With very strong Christian lawyer groups in Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia this Sub-Region probably has the best potential to reach out more to one another and to be an example of Christian Leadership in Africa. However, much work needs to be done in the sub-region. Christian Lawyer groups in Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger are still in their formative stages and they need all the support they can get.