Ken Okeke
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has called for sustainable partnership among member nations to address development gaps that will structurally improve economic growth of the sub-region.
This is the highlight of discussions at a three-day annual retreat by the Directorate of Energy and Mines (DEM} of ECOWAS, which held in Nigeria.
According to the ECOWAS Commission, the retreat is part of efforts to strengthen institutional coherence and foster synergy among initiatives to improve the effectiveness of programme and project implementation,
Chaired by the Acting Director of Energy and Mines (DEM), Mr. William Baidoe, the retreat brought together staff from the Directorate of Energy and Mines, staff from the Regional Coordination Unit (URC) for the REAP and BEST projects, as well as staff from the ROGEAP Project Implementation Unit.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Baidoe emphasized the importance of the meeting, which he described as a forum for consultation and constructive dialogue aimed at strategically reviewing the results achieved and the operational implementation of the activities; but also an opportunity for cohesion, sharing of experiences and strengthening of team spirit.
The retreat, according to him, will enable the presentation of implemented activities, analysis of achievements and identification of challenges encountered, the promotion of internal communication, strengthening of team cohesion, and encouragement of the adoption of best practices, consolidate a results-oriented culture and accountability within the Directorate, foster better coordination among teams to improve the effectiveness of interventions.
He added that the meeting provided a unique opportunity for evaluation, forward-looking reflection and collective renewal aimed at improving the effectiveness, coordination and overall impact of the DEM’s interventions across its various activities.
“The Directorate of Energy and Mines, DEM, is a division of the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalization responsible for coordinating and harmonizing the policies and programmes of member states in the energy and mining sectors as well as the development and implementation of technical projects for the region,” he said.