This paper was produced as part of a larger project which was jointly financed by the UKDepartment for International Development in Nigeria (through its Policy and Knowledge facility)and the Research Committee of the World Bank.

The paper discusses the geographic characteristics of West Africa, the diverse productive activities in each of the geographic location and its implications for regional integration.

The paper highlights the importance of oil sector transparency in order to support governments push towards structural reforms and inclusive growth.

Net Domestic Credit: Rising net credit to government and private sector have driven the upward trend in NDC, especially post-2008. In 2016Q1, NDC grew largely on the account of the rise in banking sec