Maiden Steering Committee Meeting for the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Project

The ECOWAS Commission held its Maiden Steering Committee Meeting for the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Project on Wednesday, 14 June 2023 at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria.

Presided over by H.E.  Damtien L. TCHINTCHIBIDJA, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, the session brought together various key figures, including Mrs. Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, as well as Directors responsible for Free Movement of Persons and Migration, External Relations, Administration & General Services, Digital Economy and Posts, and Legal Affairs. Additionally, the World Bank was represented by the Task Team Leader, while the WURI-ECOWAS Project Implementation Unit staff actively participated in the meeting.

The objective of the meeting was to update the Committee members on the progress made with the WURI project and to share the program planning for 2023. Additionally, the members were expected to provide recommendations to the Project Implementation Team on the effective implementation of the grant.

In her opening address, H.E. Damtien L. TCHINTCHIBIDJA emphasized the need for collaborative efforts among the various directorates to strengthen inter-departmental coordination, harmonization, and consolidation of the region’s initiatives in the digital economy sector. She urged the Committee members to fully commit themselves to the Committee’s intended objective.

In her welcome speech, Commissioner Massandjé TOURE-LITSE highlighted that the Steering Committee had been established as part of the ECOWAS Commission’s mechanisms to ensure efficient management of partner-funded projects/programmes and grants. She expressed gratitude to the World Bank for their financial and technical support of the WURI project and for their presence at the meeting as an observer.

The meeting concluded with a call for enhanced collaboration and synergy within the ECOWAS Commission to propel the project forward.