• Contrary to popular belief, West African countries, including those of the Sahel, do not lack water. Only two countries (Cape Verde and Burkina Faso) are below the international standard for water scarcity. West Africa has 28 cross boundary river basins. The largest are the Niger River Basin (shared between 11 countries if the  non-active part of the basin is taken into account), the Senegal River Basin (4 countries), the Volta River Basin (6 countries), the Lake Chad Basin (8 countries), and the Comoé River Basin (4 countries). With the exception of Cape Verde, each West African country shares at least one waterway with one of its neighbours.
  • Three quarters of the West African population live in the humid and sub-humid zones, 20% in the semi-arid zone (the Sahel) and 5% in the arid zone. Rainfall varies greatly, averaging anywhere from +1 mm/year in some Saharan regions to +5 000 mm/year at the equator. Temperatures, by contrast, vary little, remaining generally high throughout the year. West Africa has four ecological zones with distinct potential: 1) The sparsely populated, desertic Saharan zone; 2) The Sahel, whose densely populated southern area is now one of the most populated rural areas in the region; 3) The Soudanian zone, which has substantial agricultural potential; and 4) The forest zone in the coastal countries and their nearest hinterland, where urban growth is the fastest.
  • The size of the West African region is imposing: ECOWAS member countries, Chad and Mauritania cover a surface area of 7.4 million km², almost twice the size of all the 27 European Union member countries combined (4.3 million km2). West Africa is a land of contrasts where, from North to South, the desert opens on to the Savannah; the savannah gives way to the forest, and the forest to the ocean.
  • The region uses only 1% per year of its renewable water resources. Consumption should, at minimum, increase three times quicker than the population over the next decades. But surface water resources are drying up. The great challenge for the future will be to use enormous subterranean reserves which are under-exploited today.
  • West Africa has a tremendous reservoir of farmable land. Today, close to two thirds has not been exploited, of which there are 9 million irrigable hectares. However, potential varies from one area to another. In 2025, a farmer will be feeding 2.25 people compared with 1.75 today. The impact of climate change is very uncertain.
  • West Africa is rich in many natural resources. Guinea has the world‘s largest bauxite resources. Niger is among the top ten uranium producers. Ghana and Mali are major gold producing countries. West Africa’s oil resources will increasingly play a role in diversifying oil sources worldwide. West African also remains the second largest cotton exporter, following the USA. While 80 percent of its cotton is exported to Asia, 16 percent is traded within the West African region. Cocoa is grown on some two million small farms. West Africa accounts for 70% of global cocoa production.
  • Today the region is shared by intangible borders established less than fifty years ago. West Africa is composed of 17 countries stretching from Cape Verde in the western part of the continent to Chad in the east. The region includes fifteen countries that are members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) plus Chad and Mauritania. Although these borders are still recent, most of the population was born after their creation. Thus much of the population has the sentiment of belonging to a nation, but for as much, regional roots remain.
  • West Africa is the most advanced African region in terms of regional co-operation, though much remains to be done: free movement of people and goods, common external tariff, regional food crisis prevention and management, common agricultural policy, mining policy, intraregional electricity exchange, regional gas pipelines, joint position on migration, regional conflict prevention, cross-border co-operation, etc. Joint action is an efficient way to tackle development challenges. It is also a way for the region to call attention to its interests at the international level.
  • In 2010, some 318 million people live in West Africa. The regional population should exceed 400 million by 2020 and 500 million between 2030 and 2035. By 2050, West Africa will host more people than Northern America (450 million) and almost as many people as Latin America (700 million) or Europe (720 million). Nigeria alone is home to 50% of the West African population; it is the largest demographic power in Africa and the eighth in the world.
  • The West African population annual growth rate is close to the sub-Saharan average: 2.6% in 2000-2005 and an expected 1.2% in 2045-2050. However, in many countries this decline has not yet begun. While in Cape Verde a woman gives birth per average to 2 or 3 children, in landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger the total fertility rate is still close to 5 or 6 children per woman. Globally, West Africa is proving to be one of the last regions in the world to begin its demographic transition.
  • West Africa only counted 15% urban dwellers in 1960; it is expected to reach nearly 60% in 2030. The rural exodus only accounts for one third of the population increase in towns in which growth is due to new births in the urban environment. The situation and evolution vary greatly according to country.
  • According to 2010 estimates of the Africapolis study, West Africa counts 17 urban agglomerations with more than 1 million people. Lagos is by far Africa’s largest agglomeration with 10 million people, followed by Abidjan (4.1 million), Accra (3.5 million) and Ibadan (3.1 million).
  • The rural population continues to increase although at a slower pace than the urban population. Today the region has three areas of high rural density (more than 50 people/km2). The first is along the Gulf of Guinea between Abidjan and Douala; the second is made up of a series of small areas around the coastal towns on the Atlantic coast between Dakar and Monrovia; and the third stretches from Ouagadougou to N’Djamena, including the Voltaic centre in central Burkina Faso and the Hausa centre in northern Nigeria. Urban and rural areas are closely linked, even if disparities remain in terms of living conditions. The West African rural environment was long considered to be unchanging. But it is in fact at the core of powerful transformations.
  • Two-third of the West African population is under 25 years of age. The median age in West Africa fell from 19.2 years in 1950 to 17.8 years in 2005. Niger hosts the world’s youngest population with a median age of 15 years only. The increase in the number of young people can be seen as a demographic bonus that should be used in development efforts. But it will also increase pressure on the development of health, education and other social services. Although young people are increasingly well-trained, the labour market situation is still a concern. Every year almost two million young people enter the labour market. However, the formal sector can only accommodate less than 20% of them.
  • Most of West African migration is intra-regional. 7.5 million West Africans (=86%) live outside their country of origin within another West African country. OECD member countries host 1.2 million West Africans which represent only 1.2% of migrants living in OECD countries. Intra-regional mobility within West Africa is 7 times greater than migration towards to the rest of the world. ECOWAS citizens enjoy visa free entry into member states for 90 days. The “ECOWAS Common approach on migration” aims to make bilateral agreements with European countries more consistent with community texts and protocols of ECOWAS.
  • 1 200 out of the 2 000 living languages registered in Africa, are spoken in West Africa. Hause, mandingo, peul and yoruba are the main regional languages. Cultural creation is vivacious. West Africa has achieved worldwide recognition for its music, literature and arts.
  • With the exception of Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, all West African countries are classified as “Least Developed Countries” (LDC). However, most West African economies have registered strong growth rates over the past decade and were able to weather the global economic crisis remarkably well. West Africa has established a zone for free movement of people and goods within the ECOWAS area, and a common currency within the eight UEMOA countries.
  • Eight West African countries share a common currency, the CFA franc. The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) closely monitors the economic evolution of UEMOA member countries.
  • West Africa’s economy can be described by three categories of countries:The Gulf of Guinea countries bordering Nigeria are considered the heart of the regional economy. They account for over 80% of the region’s GDP.  The Atlantic front has an urbanisation rate that is slightly above average for the region and creating urban jobs is a key challenge.  The large landlocked countries have to face numerous challenges, including that of their landlocked position, their huge land mass, low population density and major ecological constraints. They rely mostly on the development of their agricultural and agro-industrial potentials.
  • The euphoria that goes along with oil and gas production and exploration in West Africa shrouds one of the region’s main characteristics: most of the countries depend exclusively, or almost, on the importation of refined products to satisfy internal demand. However, several positive changes have taken place in the region likely to modify regional prospects in the short term.
  • West Africa is the second greatest supplier of cotton to China and could, if it were more cohesive, play a determining role in the international arena. The largest West African cotton basin is located in a cross-border area. Shared between Mali, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire, it is subject to three different national policies. This is also true for other basins (Benin – Togo, Nigeria – Niger, Nigeria – Cameroon – Chad). Cotton is an important economic and social issue. West African governments are enthusiastic about this commodity as it is a source of hard currency. Farmers who cultivate cotton have seen their livelihoods improve and have become the main staple food crop producers of the region thanks to the cotton system. However, despite an increase in global demand, the future of this West African “white gold” is uncertain.
  • West Africa accounts for more than 70% of world cocoa production (Côte d’Ivoire 38%, Ghana 21%, Cameroon 5% and Nigeria 5%). Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are the world’s two largest producers, representing 80% of total West African production. Much smaller quantities of cocoa are also produced in Togo, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Cocoa is the region’s main agricultural export, accounting for nearly half of total earnings (46% of USD 4 billion in 2006). Around 7.5 million people work in West African cocoa production, mainly on family small holdings averaging around five hectares in size. Cocoa farming is very labour intensive and producers face strong pressures to keep labour costs down. At peak times all family members, including children, are involved.
  • While losing ground on the world market, Africa and West Africa’s future is uncertain especially faced with the rise of Latin America (Brazil) and Asia (Vietnam). West Africa’s current share of Robusta’s global market is not very significant (8-9%). But it could become so in the coming 20 25 years.