A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is in Gaborone, Botswana, for a benchmarking mission to the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The mission runs from November 11 to November 15, 2024, and aims to prepare ECOWAS for its upcoming EU Pillar Assessment process.
The delegation is led by Mr. Ahmadou Oury Balde, ECOWAS Director of Financial Reporting and Grants, and Mr. Olagunju Ashimolowo, Vice President of Operations at the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). It includes representatives from various ECOWAS directorates and offices, accompanied by a technical team from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). They are studying SADC’s approach to implementing EU Pillar standards to enhance ECOWAS’s compliance and operational efficiency.
The mission’s objectives include gaining insight into SADC’s EU Pillar implementation. The ECOWAS team will review SADC’s strategies and tools for meeting EU Pillar requirements with a focus on effective practices in financial management, procurement, and internal control. They aim to identify and apply best practices that will help improve their preparation for the EU Pillar Assessment while aligning with EU compliance standards.
Additionally, the delegation plans to observe SADC’s processes that can be adopted by ECOWAS in strengthening staff capacity. This is expected to enhance their ability to meet EU Pillar requirements and ensure long-term compliance.
The insights gathered during this mission will guide the development of a targeted action plan to support ECOWAS in refining its internal processes and aligning with EU standards.
“La Commission de la CEDEAO effectue une mission d’étalonnage à la SADC en préparation de l’évaluation du pilier de l’UE.”
