PRESENTATION AND SHARING MEETING ON THE MAJOR PROGRAMMES OF THE EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE DIRECTORATE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF VISION 2050

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), through its Directorate of Education, Science and Culture (DESC), is convening a presentation and sharing meeting on its major programmes at the Hotel Ecole Le Bene in Lome, Togolese Republic, from 05 to 06 August 2026.

This significant initiative aligns with human capital development priorities and the implementation of the Community’s Vision 2050. The meeting brings together Directors of ECOWAS National Offices, representatives from the Directorate of Administration and General Services, the Directorate of Budget and Treasury, the Directorate of External Relations, Coordinators of the four (04) PARI Program Consortiums, and DESC staff.

The main objective of this meeting is to enhance the understanding and support of National Offices regarding DESC’s mandate and priorities, ensuring adequate funding for its programmes in future Commission budget cycles, with the following specific objectives:

Present the organizational architecture of DESC and its portfolio of flagship programmes to the ECOWAS National Offices; Demonstrate, using performance indicators and concrete data, the socio-economic impact of DESC programmes and their alignment with Vision 2050;

Gather feedback and procedural requirements from National Offices to improve the quality of future submissions; Present the Young Professionals management platform, the EMIS programme, Science Division initiatives including the PARI consortia (ROSEWOOD, COVI-RAM, PHYMEPALU, and DIABETOX), the regional school selection framework, Culture Division programmes, and the 2027–2030 forecast budget.

This initiative reflects ECOWAS’s ongoing commitment to institutional convergence and advocacy, highlighting the vital contribution of education, science, and culture to peace, social cohesion, and regional integration, while securing predictable funding for inclusive socio-economic development across Member States.