The President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, has reaffirmed ECOWAS' determination and commitment to strengthening its ongoing partnership with UNIDO, particularly in the areas of industrialization and regional integration. This statement was made on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the ECOWAS Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria during a meeting with Ms. Fatou Haidara, Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations.
Speaking on the ongoing cooperation with UNIDO, Dr. Touray assured that ECOWAS is determined to advance the current partnership, especially regarding the implementation of programs supported by the European Union. As part of efforts to enhance industrialization and regional integration within the ECOWAS sub-region, he noted that the Commission is working with Member States to improve their quality standards and competitiveness. “One area we are working on is standards and competitiveness. These are extremely important for our ECOWAS community. We cannot be competitive if our products do not meet global standards,” said Dr. Touray.
Dr. Touray emphasized the need for ECOWAS Member States to remain united to maximize the benefits of free access to a large regional market provided by ECOWAS. “As partners, the role of UNIDO in this engagement is very important because United Nations agencies can be viewed as impartial partners,” he added.
Ms. Fatou Haidara commended ECOWAS for its continued support and pledged further collaboration with the Commission to implement programs fostering industrialization and regional integration among ECOWAS Member States. “My meeting with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, was very important and timely because we have finalized and adopted our strategy for Africa with Member States," she stated. "The core of our strategy is focused on private sector capacity building of institutions and regional integration."
Ms. Haidara also highlighted that regional integration is crucial for Africa’s development and pointed out that UNIDO remains committed to supporting regional economic communities like ECOWAS in implementing Agenda 2063.
Alerts Sign-up