The inspiration to write on the ECOWAS Treaty and the role of financial institutions derived from the apparent and unabated efforts of the various governments in the West African subregion to find solutions to the inexplicable sufferings and underdevelopment of the region and its people in the face of abundant but untapped human and natural resources. The strategy of integration has been employed by other jurisdictions, some of them more developed, as an option in addressing the forgoing challenges. So many years after the establishment of ECOWAS, the dream is far from being attained. Given the critical financial engagements inherent in the ECOWAS integration strategy, it is considered desirable that the treaty is rationalized to accommodate a wider role for financial institutions within the control of a supra national framework.