ECOWAS Strengthens Regional Data Coordination for Better Statistical Reporting
The ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Research and Statistics has organised two regional workshops in Abidjan, Ivory Coast from August 18 to 22, 2026, to strengthen the production, quality, and harmonisation of statistical data within the ECOWAS region.
This forms part of the regional priorities for modernising statistical systems and fall within the framework of the PHASAOC project, which aims in particular, to improve statistical performance, access to data, and their use in member states, ECOWAS said on its website.
The first workshop which is focused on migration statistics, will host the 6th Regional Coordination Meeting on improving the availability, quality, and comparability of national data related to regional migration indicators.
The proceedings will, in particular, provide an opportunity to review and validate the third edition of the Regional Report on International Migration in West Africa, as well as to promote the dissemination of disaggregated statistics, in accordance with the guidelines of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.
The second workshop focuses on capacity building for members of the National Coordination Committees and National Economic Policy Committees with a view to operationalising the Common Regional Frameworks for the Compilation and Publication of Macroeconomic Statistics.
This will help strengthen multilateral surveillance and support the implementation of the ECOWAS Pact on Macroeconomic Convergence and Stability.
Participants will also review the updating and populating of the ECOMAC and ECOBASE databases, as well as the processing and harmonisation of national statistics covering the period 2000–2025, to ensure their comparability and reliability.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Director General of the National Statistics Agency of Ivory Coast, Mr. Touré Brahima, represented by Mr. Thiékoro Doumbia, Director of Research and Statistics at the ECOWAS Commission, Professor Félix N’Zué as well as the ECOWAS National Focal Points, members of the Technical Working Group on Migration Data, representatives of the ECOWAS Commission’s technical departments, imcluding experts from AFRISTAT, AFRITAC-West, AMAO, IMAO, and the UEMOA Commission.
In his opening remarks, President of the National Economic Policy Committee of Ivory Coast, Mr. Hien Sansan, speaking on behalf of Mr. Adama Coulibaly, Minister of Economy, Finance, and Budget of the Republic of Ivory Coast, welcomed the various experts present in Côte d’Ivoire.
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He emphasised the importance of the meeting, which will promote the adoption and effective implementation of regional frameworks for the compilation and publication of macroeconomic statistics necessary for multilateral surveillance.
The Director of Research and Statistics at the ECOWAS Commission, Professor Félix N’Zué, representing the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, and the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Dr. Kalilou Sylla, welcomed the participants to the two day workshops.
Vision 2050
The workshops are part of the ambitions of ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the ECOWAS Statistical Policy, adopted by the Heads of State and Government, which recognises statistics as a regional public good essential for planning, monitoring public policies, and assessing progress toward regional integration.
“Without harmonised, comparable, and regularly produced statistics, it would be difficult to objectively assess the progress of our member states, guide economic and social policies, and measure the concrete effects of our regional programs. Statistics are no longer just numbers. Today, they constitute a strategic tool for governance, transparency, and foresight,” Professor N’Zué stated.
In the same vein, the Director General of the National Statistics Agency of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Touré Brahima, representing Mr. Thiékoro Doumbia, commended the ECOWAS Commission, which, through its Directorate of Research and Statistics, is stepping up initiatives to promote better production and use of statistics in the region.
The ECOWAS Commission reaffirms its commitment to promoting reliable, harmonised, and accessible statistical data, which are essential for developing evidence-based public policies and strengthening regional integration.
