By Mnena Iyorkegh, Abuja
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to deepen collaboration and strengthen their partnership in support of inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth across West Africa.
The agreement was signed by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray and the Secretary-General of the OECD.
In a statement by the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, both parties explained that: “the partnership provides a framework for cooperation across critical policy areas such as regional economic integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), trade and investment facilitation, strengthening value chains, economic resilience, good governance and integrity, food security, education and skills development, the empowerment of women and youth, as well as technical cooperation, capacity building and data development”.
According to them the MoU marks a strong step towards a broader institutional framework for OECD–Africa cooperation.
“This partnership reinforces the OECD’s commitment to evidence-based policymaking, regional
cooperation, and knowledge sharing, while supporting ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 more broadly to address shared challenges and advance sustainable development outcomes for the people of West Africa”.
The visit also included a meeting with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and ECOWAS Ambassadors, Italy’s Chair of the OECD External Relations Committee, Luca Sabbatucci, the Benin co-facilitator of the Friends of Africa Group, Corinne Amori Brunet and several ECOWAS Ambassadors and diplomats, to discuss cooperation at the member level.