Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 195 The Bank also provides capacity development programmes to Regional Economic Communities(RECs) including ECOWAS which has been mandated to implement The New Partnership for Africa's Development(NEPAD) programmes. This support is in the form of grants that finance technical assistance in priority areas, as defined by NEPAD and the regional bodies themselves. These areas include expenditure tracking in the agricultural sector(NEPAD) and strategic planning for effective implementation of ECOWAS priority regional and NEPAD programmes. Of its non-lending activities, the Bank carries out regional diagnostic studies which include: a review of the implementation of customs unions, analyses of gaps in the regional infrastructure(especially trade corridors, regional power systems and international telecommunications links) and regional assessments of financial sector integration. 243 In addition, the Bank's involvement in support of regional integration has been facilitated by the establishment in 2005 of a Regional Integration Department, charged to work with Bank staff, donors and clients to incorporate regional approaches into country programmes and to support regional bodies. D. USAID USAID has a Regional Economic Integration Programme that is geared towards contributing“to the development of a prosperous West Africa through supporting economic activities that transcend national boundaries”. 244 USAID's Programme is predicated upon the belief that“West Africa's overall economic growth is stunted by the limited economic activity and trade between West African States and the rest of the world”, and that“increasing the economic integration among West African countries can contribute to the economic growth and prosperity of all countries by expanding the size of potential markets, reducing the cost of doing business, and promoting economic stability”. 245 The principal programme activities supported by the Regional Economic Integration Program include: the West Africa International Business Linkages Program(WAIBL), West African Trade Hub(WATH), ECOTRADE, Growth through Engendering Enterprise in ECOWAS Countries(ECOGEE), Strengthening Networks of Market Information Systems and Traders' Organisations in West Africa(MISTOWA), West Africa Monetary Institute(WAMI) and Regional Energy Initiatives(WAPP& WAGP). 243 See, e.g.“Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) Financial Market Integration Report”, June 2006. 244 “USAID West Africa: Regional Economic Integration PROGRAM”, sourced: http://www.usaid.gov/missions/westafrica/ecintegration/overview/index.htm 9/23/2008. 245 Ibid.