Economy
THE Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission, which is committed to improving its standards of implementation of humanitarian programmes in the West African region, recognises the indispensable role of robust Monitoring and Evaluation, M&E, and financial mechanisms to assess the impact of its programmes and interventions.
Accordingly, it has developed models and tools to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of ECOWAS humanitarian programmes by its Member State Institutions, through well-structured M&E and financial systems.
To enable its focal points in the Member States involved in implementing ECOWAS humanitarian programmes to better master these tools, the Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission organised a 3-day capacity-building workshop from 5 to 7 November 24 in Niger State, Nigeria.
This interactive workshop, based on active participation and knowledge sharing between participants, covered a comprehensive programme that addressed all aspects of the monitoring and evaluation system, including data collection, analysis, reporting and integration into existing national systems.
At the end of this training workshop, participants made recommendations including those relating to the areas of programme intervention that ECOWAS should prioritise, namely (i) Cash intervention and Voucher assistance, CVA, in line with humanitarian principles; (ii) Livelihood support; (iii) Food and non-food intervention, (iv) Intervention in the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) kits.
For the benefit of Member States, it has been recommended that a minimum of 85% of funds be allocated to the basic needs of the affected population.
In addition, Member States are requested to complete and submit their financial and M&E reports to the ECOWAS Commission of the Floods and Food Nutrition Project (2023) before the close of the ECOWAS accounting year 2024.
Togo hosts regional working group meeting on creation of regulatory framework for special economic zones
A meeting of the Technical Working Group on the Regional Special Economic Zone, RSEZ, Regulation to consider the document for the creation of a community-wide legal, regulatory and institutional framework that will guide the creation of Special Economic Zones in Member States of the Community has opened in Lome, Togo.
During the three day meeting, which opened on Monday, 11th November 2024, the group will examine the recommendations contained in a 64-page document for the creation, within the Community, of special economic zones that are transparent, harmonized and founded on predictable legal, regulatory and institutional system of rules and regulations applicable to such zones.
The creation of the framework will enable the Community fulfil the provision of Article 3 of the 1993 Revised ECOWAS Treaty as well as the prescriptions and strategies set out in Chapter 14 of the ECOWAS Investment Policy.
The proposed draft Act is expected to provide the institutional framework that will govern, among others, the designation, establishment, location, design, financing, development, operation, management and governance as well as the administration and closure of such spatial development areas in the region.
It is also expected to fulfil the policy objective of stimulating intra-community competition by encouraging cooperative competition among Member States of the Community at least 12 areas as well as support the diversification of their economies through private-sector led SEZ development and operation, reduce dependence on natural resource exports and promote valued added processing and manufacturing in the region.
The outcome of the meeting will be submitted to regional experts for their consideration and validation as part of the process for its adoption as a Community instrument.
At the opening of the meeting, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Massandje Toure-Litse said the group was expected to ‘scrutinize and refine the document to ensure it aligns with existing regional texts and frameworks.”
“Our collective expertise spanning various specialisations, including customs, immigration and the academia will undoubtedly enrich this process,” she said in the message delivered at the opening by the Director of Private Sector, Tony Elumelu.
She summarized the work into four broad areas, mainly, the review of the draft to identify areas requiring alignment with existing texts; ensure seamless integration into existing texts; provide authoritative guidance on issues of immigration and customs procedure and infuse the document with the required academic rigour.
She assured them that their “deliberations will significantly contribute to the development of an effective legal instrument and facilitate the establishment and operation of Special Economic Zones within the ECOWAS region.”
14th November, 2024.
C.E.
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