ABUJA/Nigeria: Côte d’Ivoire is hosting a high-level regional consultation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from March 2 to 6, providing what officials describe as a strategic platform for reflection on the future direction of the bloc.
The dialogue, bringing together policymakers and regional stakeholders, is expected to inform an upcoming Special Summit of Heads of State and Government dedicated to shaping the long-term trajectory of ECOWAS.
On the sidelines of the consultation in Abidjan, the Research and Statistics Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture has convened five regional technical workshops scheduled from March 2 to 13. The workshops are being held within the framework of ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the World Bank-funded Harmonization and Improvement of Statistics in West and Central Africa Project (PHASAOC), aimed at strengthening the harmonisation, modernisation and performance of national statistical systems across Member States.
The official launch ceremony on March 2 marked the start of two weeks of technical deliberations focused on innovation, cooperation and statistical excellence. The event was presided over by Côte d’Ivoire’s Deputy Minister to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in charge of African Integration and Ivorians Abroad, H.E. Adama Dosso.
Other dignitaries included Dr. Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture; Prof. Kouakou Kouadio Clément, representing Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development; H.E. Fathmah Diarre-Diop, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire (ad interim); Prof. Félix N’Zué, ECOWAS Director of Research and Statistics (ad interim); as well as experts from Member States and regional institutions.
In his opening remarks, Dosso underscored the importance of reliable, timely and harmonised statistics in driving national planning and evidence-based public policy. He stressed that high-quality data remains central to Africa’s structural transformation and the attainment of sustainable development goals.
Commissioner Sylla reaffirmed ECOWAS’ commitment to modernising national statistical systems in line with Vision 2050, highlighting the need for methodological harmonisation, adoption of innovative data sources and strengthened regional collaboration. He commended National Statistical Institutes for their professionalism and noted that their sustained cooperation is critical to deeper statistical integration across the region.
The first workshop focuses on strengthening national capacities in demographic projections, with participants reviewing recent methodological advances, sharing country experiences and conducting practical exercises on population forecasting.
A second session is dedicated to implementing the methodological guide for the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), with emphasis on sampling techniques to ensure that consumer price indices are reliable, comparable and aligned with regional standards.
The third workshop centres on the Open Data Platform version 2 (ODP2) and the Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) standard. It aims to enhance capacity in SDMX data modelling, identify a regional data management model and address interoperability, security and confidentiality concerns. The session also reinforces collaboration with the African Development Bank to accelerate digital transformation and promote open access to public data.
The fourth workshop brings together a Technical Working Group tasked with finalising the harmonised methodology for calculating the Construction Materials Index (CMI). Experts are reviewing technical components, validating formulas and defining implementation modalities across Member States.
The fifth session explores the use of mobile phone data, particularly Detailed Call Records (DCR), for statistical purposes. Discussions focus on developing methodologies for key indicators, strengthening legal and ethical safeguards and establishing a regional framework to foster collaboration between National Statistical Institutes, telecommunications operators and regional bodies.
Through these engagements, ECOWAS says it is reinforcing its commitment to building an integrated and efficient regional data ecosystem capable of supporting informed public decision-making, development planning and monitoring of key frameworks, including National Development Plans, ECOWAS Vision 2050, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The consultations in Abidjan are expected to lay critical groundwork for a more resilient and harmonised regional statistical architecture as West Africa charts its future course.
