Regional mobility infrastructures

REMOBILISE will be the first, interdisciplinary study examining the relationship between mobility infrastructures and free movement in West Africa. In bridging legal studies, citizenship studies, and infrastructure studies it aims to unpack how mobility infrastructures impact free movement in West Africa and with what consequences. Free movement is recognised as a key driver for economic development, poverty reduction, and livelihood strategies. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was among the first organisations to introduce a regional free movement regime in 1979. Yet, immense disparities continue to exist in terms of who can access this seemingly equal right in practice. Although studies have indicated that legal, technological, and physical impediments may result in variegated access to free movement, there remains a lack of knowledge on the impact mobility infrastructures have on free movement. The project seeks to address this knowledge gap through the study of three complementary work packages focusing on the research questions on manifestations, patterns, and consequences of mobility infrastructures. It will use a mixed method approach, innovatively combining ethnographic approaches with legal research and large-scale data analysis. The project contributes to key debates in legal studies, citizenship studies, and infrastructure studies, specifically by improving the emerging scholarship on mobility infrastructures. The findings have direct impact on the lives of over 400 million people living in the region, on the work of ECOWAS policymakers, and on external partners, such as the UN and the EU.