Tema-Ghana, Oct. 16 – A four-day workshop was organised by the ECOWAS Commission in Lagos with the aim of providing an update on the state of operations related to the EU pillar assessment, as well as showcasing achievements and outcomes.
With technical support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the session was held.
It was a follow-up to the last workshop, which was conducted in July 2023 and produced a single roadmap to track progress towards the targets. The previous session was centred around the EU pillar certification procedure.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Jérôme Boa, the ECOWAS Commission’s Director of External Relations, stressed how crucial it is that GIZ expedite the procedure and effectively support ECOWAS in certifying the EU pillar.
He acknowledged that this workshop was crucial to the EU pillar assessment process and requested that all pillar champions complete their assigned tasks in order to provide the intended outcomes.
The ECOWAS Commission’s Director of Budget and Treasury, Mr. Molokwu Azikiwe, commended GIZ and the pillar champions of the EU for their initial efforts.
He wished everyone in attendance a productive working session and underlined the need and significance of finishing the activities needed for the pillar assessment.
Speaking on behalf of GIZ, Mr. Franck-Emery Mongbe thanked ECOWAS for hosting the workshop and gave them assurances that GIZ will continue to support them to make sure the process was successful.
He also complimented the Pillar Champions and ECOWAS leaders for their hard work and the progress they have accomplished.
The workshop, according to Mr. Ahmadou Balde, Director of Financial Reporting and Grants for the ECOWAS Commission, gave participants an opportunity to assess the situation and clarify roles and duties in order to expedite the ongoing process.
He stressed the significance of the ECOWAS Commission in this undertaking.
The workshop results, which outline the steps needed for the EU pillar’s final assessment as well as the advancements made in the pillar certification process, will be presented to the ECOWAS management.
