ECOWAS Convenes West African Statistics Chiefs In Dakar To Advance Regional Data Harmonisation

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has convened a five-day meeting of Directors-General of National Statistical Institutes (NSIs) from across the region to strengthen statistical harmonisation and improve the quality of data used for regional integration and economic planning.

According to ECOWAS, the meeting, which began on Monday and will run until July 31 in Dakar, Senegal, is part of the implementation of the ECOWAS Statistical Policy and the regional Statistical Harmonisation and Improvement Projects (PHASAO and PHASAOC).

The Commission said that the initiative is aimed at enhancing the production of reliable, harmonised and comparable statistical data to support evidence-based policymaking, regional integration and macroeconomic convergence among ECOWAS Member States.

During the meeting, participants are expected to review the implementation of recommendations adopted at their previous session, assess the execution of the 2025 budget, and validate the 2026 work programme and budget for regional statistical activities.

The Directors-General will also consider and adopt a number of methodological guidelines and technical documents designed to strengthen national statistical systems, improve data quality, and promote greater consistency in statistical reporting across the sub-region.

The gathering has brought together Directors-General of the National Statistical Institutes of ECOWAS Member States, experts from the ECOWAS Commission, and representatives of key regional and international development partners.

Among the participating institutions are the World Bank, the African Union, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), AFRISTAT, the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and Statistics Sweden.

ECOWAS said the outcomes of the meeting are expected to reinforce regional cooperation in official statistics, improve data comparability among Member States, and provide a stronger statistical foundation for monitoring economic performance and advancing the Community’s integration agenda.