ECOWAS Advances Regional Statistical Harmonisation Efforts

The ECOWAS meeting focused on regional statistical harmonisation, gathering heads of national statistical institutes from member states to advance the implementation of the regional statistical policy. This policy aims to harmonise national statistical systems to produce reliable, comparable, and timely data for evidence-based public policymaking and regional integration.

The meeting assessed progress on the Regional Statistical Program (2023–2027) and related projects, leading to the approval of several methodological guides, including those for the Industrial Production Index, Business Register, and Public Debt Statistics. Dr.

Kaliou Sylla, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, was represented by Professor N’Zué Félix Fofana, the Acting Director of Research and Statistics at the ECOWAS Commission. The meeting underscored the importance of statistics in developing public policies aligned with ECOWAS’s Vision 2050.

Participants committed to implementing recommendations to strengthen regional cooperation and enhance the statistical system's efficiency.