Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 132 • Promote industrialisation in member states by such means as exhibitions and seminars. and the encouragement of bilateral cooperation among member states. The following countries were members of FEWAMA: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The Secretariat was located in Lagos, Nigeria, with a permanent secretary responsible for the daily operations of the association. In 1995, FEWAMA could not conduct its annual general meeting because of lack of attendance. Consequently, it was decided that the activities of the association should be discontinued. FEWAMA appeared to have failed for a number of reasons. In the main, many of the manufacturers' associations in West Africa were not financially capable of paying their contributions. However, the largest national manufacturers associations in West Africa, AGI, Federation Nationale des Industries et Services de Cote d'Ivoire(FNISCI) and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) are now determined to revive FEWAMA.(Reports on 1 st ECOWAS Business Forum and FEWAMA Meetings in Accra, October 2007). They have all expressed commitment to the FEWAMA agenda and agreed that the recent developments towards accelerated regional integration were sufficiently important to justify increased cooperation between the associations in the sub-region. The view was that if the three strongest associations in the sub-region could form the nucleus of the federation, it will be possible to revive it. Recent developments have indicated the determination of not only the private sector actors but more importantly of the ECOWAS Commission to revive all private sector association in the sub-region to enhance their capacities as critical actors in the regional integration process. In October 2007, under the auspices of the Private Sector Division of the ECOWAS Commission, an ECOWAS Business Forum was organised in Accra, embracing all identifiable business associations in West Africa. This was followed in July 2008, with a workshop for FEWAMA, on its reorganisation. A formal endorsement of new articles of association and a secretariat are scheduled for October 2008. Challenges of Regional Trade and Integration Regional integration has been regarded as an instrument for the development of Ghana's economy. Increased trade with the neighbouring countries is envisaged to result in accelerated development and growth. Consequently, Ghana has been an active participant in ECOWAS and recently the fast track initiative with Nigeria.