ECOWAS STATISTICAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING CONCLUDES WITH CALLS FOR STRONGER STATISTICAL SYSTEMS AND REGIONAL COOPERATION

ECOWAS STATISTICAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING CONCLUDES WITH CALLS FOR STRONGER STATISTICAL SYSTEMS AND REGIONAL COOPERATION

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has concluded a five-day regional training workshop on Statistical Leadership and Management for managers of National Statistical Systems (NSS) from ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania, with calls for stronger NSSs, enhanced regional cooperation and improved statistical governance.

Held from 5th to 9th of October 2026 in Monrovia, Liberia, the training strengthened leadership and management capacities within National Statistical Systems to improve the coordination of statistical activities and support the production and dissemination of reliable, high-quality and timely statistical data across the region. The workshop was organised under the World Bank-funded Project for the Harmonising and Improving of Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA).

ECOWAS was encouraged to support these efforts through capacity-building on generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), regular regional exchanges of experience and good practices, the translation of international statistical guidelines into Community languages, and technical assistance and peer reviews to improve statistical quality assurance. Participants also recommended establishing a regional committee to ensure that the Community’s perspectives are adequately represented in international statistical decision-making.
The workshop brought together representatives of National Statistical Systems from ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania, alongside regional institutions, including the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA) and the Economic and Statistical Observatory of Sub-Saharan Africa (AFRISTAT). The training concluded with the presentation of certificates to participants.