The Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) yesterday opened its 2nd Diaspora Conference in Washington, DC with a call on the Ambassadors from the region to use their diplomatic experience, innovations, network and dynamism to help in the implementation of the ECOWAS integration and development agenda.
Ecowas Ambassadors
Speaking at the preparatory meeting for the conference which was held at the Nigerian embassy in Washington, DC, President of the ECOWAS, H.E.M Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, said that the idea of diplomats from the region was needed to enable them set a new and pragmatic vision and strategy for the engagement of the Diaspora and the United States in general, for the realization of the ECOWAS integration.
He pressed further that it was common knowledge that engaging the Diaspora in national development was a policy option that all member States of ECOWAS had long accepted, adding that implementation had been lukewarm on the average. He noted that it was the hope of the region that the regional program would strengthen national equivalents and upscale results.
Speaking further on the integration process, the ECOWAS president said: "The objectives of ECOWAS, as enshrined in the ECOWAS Treaty, are to promote cooperation and integration, leading to the establishment of a single prosperous regional economic space, accelerated socio-economic development, and overall regional competitiveness in the global market.
Ouedraogo added that it was these objectives that had advised the ECOWAS in its choice of regional integration and development programmes which he said were anchored on five pillars, namely; peace and security, policy harmonization, promotion of trade and investment, infrastructural development, and good governance and democracy.
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ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria
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On Vision 2020, the ECOWAS president said that the vision was very ambitious and would need the support and sustained contributions from all the member states to be realized.
His words: "We seek to realize the 2020 Vision of moving from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of people, within a single prosperous economic space in which the people transact business and live in dignity and peace under the rule of law and good governance.The vision is very ambitious and will need the support and sustained contributions from all of us to be realized"
He also pressed further that the Commission had organized some investment forums to promote public and private dialogue in the formation of regional policies and upscale regional business networking and investment just as he added that there were ongoing plans to set up a Regional Investment Guarantee Agency, ECOWAS Business Council and a Regional Private Sector Strategy with a view to bringing development to West African Countries.
"The Commission between 2008 and 2010 had organized three international economic and trade forums with the People's Republic of China and Republic of India, and this will bring impact to the region.
We are going to reap the benefits of these international engagements with infrastructural projects currently being executed in some of our countries. In 2010, we signed an agreement with the China Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund) for soft lines of credit for some investment and private projects in ECOWAS member states" Ouedraogo said.
He however lauded the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, DC for what he described as beautiful and comfortable facilities that were being made available for the preparatory meeting.
"I must specifically appreciate the Ambassador, H.E. Prof. Adebowale Adefuye who has been our very close ally over the years for hosting us today" he added.
Also speaking at the forum, the Nigeria's Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, noted that the ECOWAS had done a lot to ensure a co-existence of Africa, stressing that the continent would be better if other regions in Africa were as committed as the ECOWAS.
In an earlier interview with LEADERSHIP, Ambassador Adefuye said that remarkable efforts had been made by Nigeria and some other ECOWAS countries to encourage their nationals based outside to engage with development efforts at home, adding that the Nigerian embassy, in this regard, had done outstandingly well.
Speaking on the ECOWAS Diaspora program, Adefuye said that program sought to establish a platform through which the ECOWAS Diaspora, starting with the US, would be organized and mainstreamed into ECOWAS integration process and leveraged to promote and advocate for same in the US and the rest of the world.
He added that the program would create a platform for the Commission to promote and showcase its objectives, achievements, orientations and regional issues to a vast portion of the ECOWAS population and a strategic country like the US; and collaborate to explore and appropriate new opportunities, technologies, investments and trade for ECOWAS development.
The Nigeria's envoy however pledged the supports of the federal government of Nigeria to all the visions and struggles of the ECOWAS.
