Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 130 One aspect of the Ghana-Nigeria fast track approach was the effort to get the intervening countries, Togo and Benin, to subscribe to the free trade area that had been endorsed by Ghana and Nigeria. The view of Ghanaian companies interviewed is one of scepticism about Togo and Benin's commitment in view of their membership of UEMOA. Yet, by the fact of their geographical location, they could pose a threat to or positively advance the fortunes of a Ghana-Nigeria free trade area. The Ghana approach to the fast track and the level of consultation with the private sector did not commend itself much to the companies interviewed. In their opinion, with adequate consultations and appreciation of the realities confronting operations on the ground, the Ghana government's approach should have been more guided by practical experiences of the private sector in cross border trade. Government seemed to have taken a position based primarily on political considerations, which, in the view of the companies, could undermine the advantages that Ghana could benefit from a more comprehensive approach to UEMOA vis-à-vis Nigeria. Notwithstanding that Ghana and Nigeria are Anglophone countries and have a common economic legacy, the view of many of the Ghanaian companies was that Ghana's immediate neighbour, Cote d'Ivoire, should be involved in the fast track process. Being a key player in UEMOA, they held the view that if Cote d'Ivoire co-operated in the process, it would drive other UEMOA members along. Companies surveyed were overwhelmingly opposed to Ghana joining UEMOA as an alternative to the Ghana-Nigeria fast track, the. Even though they appreciated the goal of the fast track approach, which was to accelerate the ECOWAS integration they preferred that the fast track would be inclusive of critical players such as Togo, Benin and particularly Cote d'Ivoire. The general view was that UEMOA should be absorbed into ECOWAS. There was an appreciation of the need for harmonising activities and regulations so that the same conditions and privileges would be applied to all countries within the sub-region regardless of whether they are members of UEMOA or not. This was conceived as the only approach that would sustain Ghana's trade relations within the sub-region without sacrificing the ultimate goal of ECOWAS. Benefits to Industry The objective of ECOWAS as set up in 1975, is to promote co-operation in all fields of economic activity including agriculture, industry, transport, telecommunications, trade, customs, immigration, monetary and financial matters, as well as social and cultural affairs – in order to achieve rapid economic development and integration of the economies of West African countries. The vision of a larger regional market has