Abuja, 16^th May 2018. The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its Permanent Representatives in Nigeria in their bi-monthly meeting which held on 16^th May 2018 in Abuja, Nigeria resolved to increase collaboration in order to implement various programmes geared towards regional integration.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou stated in his remarks that the bi-monthly meeting serves as a good platform for dialogue, interaction and sharing of ideas on ECOWAS activities.

“It affords Permanent Representatives an opportunity to brief the Commission on the implementation of ECOWAS projects in their respective Member States and on progress made on the payment and remittance of Community Levy”, he said.

In turn departments and technical directorates of the Commission will be able to leverage on the experience and counsel of the Permanent Representatives in executing ECOWAS programmes and activities, he added.

President Brou went on to brief the Permanent Representatives on the recent developments in the regional integration agenda in areas of trade, elections, peace keeping and security, the launch of the ECOWAS radio station in Liberia and the status of Morocco’s application to join the Community .

He highlighted that while giant strides have been made in the free movement of people in the region, a lot needs to be done to improve that of goods and services which currently stands at 15%.

The Chairman of the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives in Nigeria and Ambassador of Togo, which is currently the chair of the Authority of Heads of States and Government, Mr. Lene Dimban, reiterated the committee’s willingness to foster greater synergy with the Commission.

“The Committee is available to work hand in hand with the Commission in order to achieve the goals set by the ECOWAS Heads of States and Government’, he said.

The meeting was the first between the new management of the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives in Nigeria.