Infrastructures et convergence réelle dans la CEDEAO: contribution des transports, de l'énergie, et des télécommunications sur la période 2000-2024[Infrastructure and Real Convergence in ECOWAS : The Contribution of Transport, Energy, and Telecommunications over the Period 2000-2024]

This study examines the impact of infrastructure on real convergence among ECOWAS member states over the period 2000-2024. It assesses the extent to which improvements in infrastructure contribute to narrowing economic performance gaps between member countries and the region’s most advanced economies. To capture the multidimensional nature of infrastructure, a composite infrastructure index is constructed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), based on four dimensions: transport infrastructure, access to electricity, internet usage, and mobile telephony. The analysis relies on a panel dataset covering the fifteen ECOWAS countries and incorporates several control variables, including intra-regional trade openness, inflation, agricultural value added, macroeconomic stability, human capital, and governance. The empirical strategy combines fixed-effects and random-effects models, Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE), Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, the dynamic System-GMM estimator, and an instrumental variable approach that uses public investment as an instrument for the infrastructure index. The study’s originality lies in the use of Cape Verde as the regional development frontier, complemented by robustness checks employing Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and the ECOWAS regional average as alternative benchmarks. The results indicate that infrastructure significantly contributes to reducing growth disparities within ECOWAS. Transport infrastructure emerges as the main driver of convergence, followed by access to electricity and mobile telephony. Sensitivity analyses confirm the robustness of the findings, particularly when Cape Verde is used as the regional benchmark. Overall, the study highlights the central role of infrastructure in fostering economic catch-up and strengthening regional integration in West Africa.