TRADE LIBERALIZATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN SELECTED WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES

This research examines the relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth in selected West African countries (Cote d‟Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria) the choice of these countries is as a result of steady GDP growth over the years, using secondary data in a multivariate panel framework for the period 1976 - 2023. The main objective was to establish the effects of trade liberalization on economic growth in these countries. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bound tests and other diagnostic tests were employed for data estimation. The results indicated long run relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth in Cote d‟Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. The relationship is positive and significant for the three countries. In the long run, the combination of other macroeconomic variables like investment, human capital, net inflow of FDI and the exchange rate complement the contribution of trade to economic growth. Therefore, these countries should promote appropriate trade policies devoted to foster increased local production of manufactured and agricultural goods to reduce importation and stimulate exports, as a strategy to boost economic growth