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The proposed eco: should West Africa proceed with a common currency?

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  • Chuku, Chuku

Abstract

This paper investigates the rationality of proceeding with a common currency in West Africa by testing for symmetry and speed of adjustment to four underlying structural shocks among a pair of 66 ECOWAS economies. The findings reveal that there is relatively high degree of symmetry in the responses of the economies to external disturbances, while about 85 percent of the correlations in supply, demand and monetary shocks among the countries are asymmetric. The size of the shocks and speed of adjustment among countries are also dissimilar, suggesting that ECOWAS should not yet proceed with the eco, since the costs will outweigh the benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Chuku, Chuku, 2012. "The proposed eco: should West Africa proceed with a common currency?," MPRA Paper 43739, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:43739
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/43739/1/MPRA_paper_43739.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Buigut, Steven K. & Valev, Neven T., 2005. "Is the proposed East African Monetary Union an optimal currency area? a structural vector autoregression analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2119-2133, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ekong, Christopher N. & Onye, Kenneth U., 2012. "On The Feasibility of a Common Currency in West Africa: Evidence from a Multivariate Structural VAR," MPRA Paper 88357, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Couharde, Cécile & Grekou, Carl & Mignon, Valérie, 2022. "On the economic desirability of the West African monetary union: Would one currency fit all?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Asongu, Simplice A. & Folarin, Oludele E. & Biekpe, Nicholas, 2019. "The long run stability of money demand in the proposed West African monetary union," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 483-495.
    4. Samba Diop & Simplice A. Asongu, 2020. "An Index of African Monetary Integration (IAMI)," Working Papers 20/003, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    5. Magazzino, Cosimo, 2012. "Revenue and expenditure nexus: A case study of ECOWAS," Economics Discussion Papers 2012-57, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    6. Simplice Asongu & Jacinta Nwachukwu & Vanessa Tchamyou, 2017. "A Literature Survey On Proposed African Monetary Unions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 878-902, July.
    7. Abban, Stanley & Ofori-Abebrese, Grace, 2019. "The Prospect Of ECOWAS Currency Union On Intra-Regional Trade," MPRA Paper 102226, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Ekpo Akpan & Chuku Chuku, 2017. "Working Paper 291 - Regional Financial Integration and Economic Activity in Africa," Working Paper Series 2403, African Development Bank.
    9. Asongu, Simplice & Nwachukwu, Jacinta & Tchamyou, Vanessa, 2017. "A summary of a survey on proposed African monetary unions," MPRA Paper 79637, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Carl Grekou & Cécile Couharde & Valérie Mignon, 2021. "On the desirability of the West African monetary union," Working Papers hal-04159755, HAL.
    11. Coulibaly, Issiaka & Gnimassoun, Blaise, 2013. "Optimality of a monetary union: New evidence from exchange rate misalignments in West Africa," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 463-482.
    12. Lare-Lantone, Kanfitine & Anoruo, Emmanuel, 2022. "West African Monetary Union and Colonial Economic Ties," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 75(3), pages 323-362.
    13. Daniel Agyapong & Anokye M. Adam, 2012. "Exchange Rate Behaviour: Implication for West African Monetary Zone," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 2(4), pages 215-228, October.
    14. Ngozi E. Egbuna & Maimuna John-Sowe & Santigie M. Kargbo (PhD) & Sani Bawa (PhD) & Ibrahima Diallo & Isatou Mendy, 2020. "Business Cycle Synchronisation In The Ecowas Region," Working Papers 18, West African Monetary Institute.
    15. Isaac Mensah, 2015. "Monetary and Economic Union in West Africa: An analysis on trade," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), International Hellenic University (IHU), Kavala Campus, Greece (formerly Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology - EMaTTech), vol. 8(2), pages 87-118, October.
    16. Louis Sevitenyi Nkwatoh & Yahya Zakari Abdullahi & Chika Usman Aliyu, 2019. "Past and Current European Monetary Union Crises: Lessons for the Envisaged West African Monetary Union," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 9(4), pages 50-59.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monetary union; Structural VAR; Optimal currency area; ECOWAS; West Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

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