The ECOWAS Commission is bringing together managers of national statistical systems in Monrovia, Liberia, from 5 to 9 October 2026. Led by the organization’s Department of Economic and Agricultural Affairs, this initiative involves representatives from member states as well as Mauritania.
The program targets directors of national statistical offices, senior staff from national statistical systems, technical personnel from the ECOWAS Commission, and officials from the West African Monetary Agency (WAEMU) and the West African Institute for Monetary and Financial Studies.
Training Supported by the Regional HISWACA Project
This session falls under the West and Central Africa Harmonization and Improvement of Statistics Project, funded by the World Bank. The goal is to transfer team management techniques and support digital data transformation to enhance the operational efficiency of public institutions.
At the opening, Liberia’s Director General of the Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, Richard Fatorma Ngafuan, emphasized the need for statistical integrity, technological transformation, and responsible use of artificial intelligence for institutional leaders.
Data Independence and Operational Challenges
ECOWAS Resident Representative in Liberia, Mohammed Kenewui Konneh, addressed constraints affecting national systems. While regional methodological frameworks have been harmonized, challenges persist in human resources, technical infrastructure, information dissemination, and risks of data politicization. For ECOWAS, managerial strengthening must safeguard the professional independence of data-producing agencies.
Samson Bel-Aube Nougbodohoue, Director of Research and Statistics at the ECOWAS Commission, delivered remarks on behalf of Commissioner Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, responsible for economic and agricultural affairs:
« The success of this workshop will ultimately be measured not only by what we learn here, but by what we do with that knowledge when we return to our institutions. »
Sherif Torey, Director of Research and Statistics at the West African Institute for Monetary and Financial Studies, reiterated that data comparability and regularity remain essential for economic policy formulation and regional integration processes.
Launch of Liberia’s Socio-Economic Report
The meeting also served as the official launch of ECOWAS’s country report on Liberia, titled Dynamics of Socio-Economic Performance, Food Security, and the Challenges of Regional Integration.
Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, represented by Deputy Minister for Economic Policy Henry D.Z. Yanquoi, urged technical and financial stakeholders to leverage the report’s findings. These insights should guide investment decisions and implement the ARREST Agenda for inclusive development, focusing on revenue mobilization, infrastructure, and agriculture.
The training and technical exchanges conclude on 9 October 2026 in Monrovia.
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- 1ECOWAS TRAINS STATISTICAL LEADERS TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL STATISTICAL SYSTEMS ACROSS MEMBER STATES AND MAURITANIACEDEAO · 6 October 2026 official source
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