Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) holds validation workshop for the draft regional e-government strategy

 

The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the World Bank and Sense Strategy under the West Africa Regional Digital Integration Programme (WARDIP), convened a validation workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, on 25th November 2025 to review the draft Regional E-Government Strategy a major milestone in the region’s digital transformation agenda.

The meeting brought together senior officials, digital economy experts and representatives from ministries, regulatory bodies, and institutions across all ECOWAS Member States. The workshop aimed to finalise the strategic direction, governance arrangements and implementation roadmap for a unified, citizen-centred regional e-government framework.

Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, Mrs. Folake Olagunju, Acting Director of Digital Economy and Post, welcomed participants and emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative. She noted that the draft strategy is rooted in ECOWAS’ overarching development frameworks Vision 2050, the Community Strategic Framework (2023–2027) and the Digital Sector Development Strategy (2024–2029) and is further aligned with continental and global instruments such as the AU Digital Transformation Strategy 2030, the AU Data Policy Framework, and the UN Global Digital Compact (GDC). She highlighted that extensive diagnostics, validated on the 25th August 2025, confirmed Member States’ shared commitment to a transformative, inclusive and interoperable regional approach to digital governance.

The delegation from Sierra Leone, current Chair of the ECOWAS ICT Expert Group, delivered goodwill remarks through Mrs. Aminata Omaru Thollay, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Communication, Technology&Innovation. She described the workshop as a historic moment, reaffirming the importance of collective ownership in driving regional digital progress.

“A regional approach is not only beneficial but non-negotiable,” she stated. “Only coordinated action can transform isolated pockets of progress into a coherent pathway for digital advancement across West Africa.”

Participants engaged in detailed discussions on the strategy’s proposed pillars. The meeting also reflected on the principles guiding the strategy, such as regional coherence with national flexibility, citizen-centred development, trust, resilience and sustainability.

The ECOWAS Commission acknowledged the contributions of Member States, regional partners, and Sense Strategy, the consulting firm supporting the development of the strategy, for their continued technical expertise and collaboration.

The outcomes of the workshop will feed into the final version of the Regional E-Government Strategy, to be presented for adoption through the ECOWAS decision-making structures.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).