public debt and economic growth in ECOWAS.

The objective of this work is to examine the effect of public debt levels on economic growth in ECOWAS states over the period 2000 to 2019. Using a PSTR model, the results show that public debt has significant non-linear effects on economic growth. The estimates reveal the existence of a debt threshold estimated at 42.59% of GDP, below which additional debt has a positive effect on growth. On the other hand, above 42.59% of GDP, public debt has a negative effect on growth.The results of this study give rise to a number of economic policy recommendations.