An Assessment On The Regional Integration Of The Mano River Union (MRU) Countries: Challenges And Opportunities

The idea of regional integration and cooperation has existed and practiced for decades in Sub-Sahara Africa.Regional integration serves as a tool that promotes economic collaboration and sustainability,socio-infrastructural and cultural development,peace,security and harmony within a particular geographical setting.The regional integration of the Mano River Union serves as a conduit for bolstering the socio-economic,peace and stability,security and better livelihood of citizens in the sub-region.The need for integration as expressed in previous researches is immeasurable because of its ability to alleviate the pressure of conflicts,economic activities,peace and security,corruption,and poor governance within the sub-region.The aim of this study was to assess the regional integration of the Mano River Union(MRU)countries,capturing its challenges and opportunities.This study sought to establish the significance of integration within the MRU especially highlighting the economic and security situation.In previous studies,many researchers have established the significance of regional integration but these researches have not been within the MRU sub-region.Thus,this research attempts to critically analyze factors of sub-regional integration,keenly taking into consideration the economic and security of the MRU as well as providing solution for its challenges and opportunities.This research was also concerned about growth and development of the Mano River Union.The study was conducted through an online survey with size of about eighty-two respondents which covered professional and diplomatic missions across the sub-region,Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS)was used to analyze the data of the study.The results of the study showed that over 65%of government officials,public and private employees,executives,and students who took part in this study agreed that regional integration contributes to the peace and security of the MRU countries,while it was established that 70%of the participants believed that the gradual return to democratic governance in member states points to successes of integration.Additionally,the study found that 86.2%of the participants agreed that there is a need for strengthened secretariat and public sector,while almost 80%of the participants admitted that diseases including malaria,TB,and HIV/AIDS continue to threaten the population as well as pose serious challenges to economic development.Other challenges found by the study include Climate Change and the illegal occupation of the forest lands as an addition to considerable uncertainty of social and economic integration in the sub-region.Based on the results,this research provides a number of recommendations and conclusions for action.