Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 194 opportunities to Member States of the ECOWAS to access larger import markets. 236 Equally very crucial in addressing the development needs of those States and propelling the process of regional integration is aid in the form of technical and financial assistance from the EU to ECOWAS Member States to improve infrastructure as well as capacity-building. C. THE WORLD BANK As suggested earlier, the countries of West Africa, as with those of other parts of Africa are faced with a multiplicity of challenges that prevent them from participating in the global economy and thus reaping the benefits of increased globalisation. The World Bank's involvement in regional integration is premised upon the belief that regional approaches offer the possibility for countries to make more headway in overcoming development constraints(such as poor infrastructure, small and fragmented markets, undeveloped financial markets, weak systems to facilitate trade), than on their own. 237 To that end, the objectives of the World Bank's Regional Integration Assistance Strategy(RIAS) 238 for West Africa focuses on“the creation of open, unified, regional economic space, as a means of creating an environment for a more competitive and efficient private sector”. 239 They also aim to “help remove formal and informal barriers to intra-regional trade and contribute to increased trade within the sub-region, and between the sub-region and the rest of the world”. 240 The Bank's projects consistent with the objectives of the RIAS include financial support to improve transport infrastructure and facilitate trade, 241 energy, water, telecommunications, the financial sector and agriculture. 242 236 Estimates suggest that intra-Community trade in ECOWAS is less than 15% compared to 70& within the EU. Ibid. p. 4. 237 “World Bank supports transport improvements in West Africa” sourced: http://www.myjoyonline.com/tools/print/printnews.asp?contentid=17502; 9/22/2008 238 The RIAS is established as a framework to complement the Bank's country-specific assistance strategies. 239 Ibid. 240 Ibid. 241 The Bank has approved a US$ 190 million to finance transport and transit improvements in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mali. The financing package consists of three International Development Association(IDA) credits of US$ 70 million to Burkina Faso, a US$80 million to Ghana and a US$40 million to Mali for a West Africa Transport and Transit Facilitation Project. The three-country project supports the NEPAD transport agenda of trade corridors without borders and barriers, which aims to facilitate trade and promote economic integration in the sub-region. Ibid. See also Daily Graphic, Thursday, March 12, 2009, World Bank advertisement captioned:“Ghana's Concerns: The World Bank's Priorities”, p.15 at p.16 4)“Support for private sector and regional integration….” In order to grow, Ghana's economy needs to nurture private businesses as well as increase trade with neighbouring countries and penetrate global markets. …..The Bank is also helping to promote the role of Ghana in regional integration and trade facilitation, infrastructure through regional roads projects from Tema to Bamako and from Abidjan through Tema to Lagos, as well as a Trade Insurance Project. The West African Transport and Transit Facilitation Project with a$190-million IDA support, seeks to improve the Burkina-Faso, Mali and Niger access to the Ghanaian ports of Tema and Takoradi, to reduce general transport costs and promote economic activity and private sector development by facilitating the efficient movement of transit traffic along the Tema-Ouagadougou-Bamako transport corridor. The World Bank has also been supporting the Trade and Investment Gateway Project with a US$ 50.5 million facility. This has contributed in various ways in promoting Ghana as the gateway to West Africa. It has helped to improve the quality and standards of service delivery”. 242 Among which are projects such as the West Africa Power Pool and the Programme for the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme in West Africa.