As part of the work related to the implementation of the Aid Management Platform (AMP), a needs assessment was carried out in four Member States, namely: Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo, also, with the ECOWAS Commission and agencies such as ECREE, ARAA, PPDU, ERERA, as well as the EU Delegation and GIZ in Abuja. In order to properly monitor the level of implementation of this project, “The Economic Community of West African States” (ECOWAS) is organizing its 2024 annual meeting of heads of national offices, from 8 to 11 October 2024, in Lomé under the theme Strengthening the accountability, openness and reporting process of ECOWAS national offices using the AMP.

This 2024 meeting of heads of national offices has several objectives, namely the improvement of resource mobilization strategies in accordance with the provisions of Articles 22 to 25 of the Operational Manual, the implementation of an independent audit process on the use of community levy resources managed by national offices, the assessment of needs for the implementation of the Aid Management Platform (AMP) in Member States not visited during the previous evaluation, the sharing of best practices for effective implementation of the AMP, the analysis of the results obtained during the assessment of the needs of the Aid Management Platform (AMP) carried out in selected ECOWAS Member States as well as the analysis of the results obtained during the evaluation at the ECOWAS Commission and its specialized agencies, the integration of ECOWAS strategic documents and the promotion of a communication and visibility strategy for the AMP.

During the opening ceremony, Mr. Afo Ousmane SALIFOU, Secretary General of the Ministry of Regional Integration and Togolese Abroad, representing HE Professor Robert DUSSEY, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Togolese Abroad, welcomed the initiative of the organizers through the establishment of this “precious platform for collective reflection”. He further indicated that Togo remains fully mobilized to work, alongside partners in the sub-region, to develop and implement concrete solutions for an optimal deployment of the Aid Management Platform.

HE Mrs. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, represented by the Director of Cabinet of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Hon. Ab-dou KOLLEY, thanked the Government and people of the Togolese Republic for their support in organizing this meeting on Togolese soil. The Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission subsequently congratulated the Heads of National Offices for this initiative and for “their commitment, determination and personal investment in the patient and effective construction of ECOWAS institutions.”

Mr. Jérôme BOA, Director of External Relations of ECOWAS, thanked the host institution of the event, which is the BIDC, and the authorities of the Togolese Republic for this warm welcome. He recalled that this meeting is a logical follow-up to that of Grand Bassam organized in August 2023, which made it possible to implement certain recommendations for the proper functioning of the ECOWAS National Offices. He therefore encouraged all participants to exchange collaboratively in order to achieve the objectives set by this important meeting.

The current President of the Heads of National Offices of ECOWAS and President of the CAF Amb Olawale Emmanuel AWE represented by the Former President of the Heads of National Offices of ECOWAS Mrs. Cristina Da Silva, wished in her opening speech excellent discussions to all participants and positive results at the end of this annual meeting.

The end of this 2024 annual meeting of Heads of National Offices is scheduled for Friday, October 11, 2024.