Accra, May 9, GNA – Mrs Damtien Tchintchibidja, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, has pushed for the coordination of efforts to expedite the implementation of the bloc’s Human Capital Development (HCD) Strategy.
This would enable the region to leverage the potential of its teeming youth to accelerate its economic and social development.
Mrs Tchintchibidja made the call when she opened a three-day regional technical conference on Human Capital Development (HCD) in Accra on Wednesday.
The conference, organised by the ECOWAS Commission, aims to strengthen the commitment of Member States, partners, and ECOWAS technical staff to Human Capital Development at regional and national levels.
The conference brought together government representatives, focal points, development partners, and technical experts to discuss strategies for prioritizing human capital development across West Africa. It will review progress made towards developing and implementing the ECOWAS HCD strategy.
It was on the theme “Accelerating Human Capital Development in West Africa: From Strategy to Delivery.”
Mrs Tchintchibidja noted that ECOWAS was one of the youngest regions in the world and its youth population is projected to continue growing.
“Nearly 44 per cent of our population is under the age of 15 and 65 per cent is under the age of 25. Yet, the potential of our young population is not being fully harnessed due to limited opportunities. Challenges such as high unemployment, widespread illiteracy, and restricted access to basic social services prevail, with women bearing the brunt of these issues disproportionately,” she said.
Mrs Tchintchibidja said previous efforts and investments had not adequately catered to the development of a population that is healthy, well-educated, and fully empowered to contribute to the social and economic growth of the countries in the region.
She said the path to economic and social advancement in the region demanded a more substantial and united effort towards fostering human potential.
The ECOWAS Vice President stated that since the regional strategy was launched in 2021, ECOWAS has actively promoted the development of national HCD initiatives, with substantial outcomes.
“Today, we can proudly say that seven (7) out of 15 ECOWAS Member States have received ECOWAS funds to support the development of their strategies. Nigeria and Burkina Faso have completed the development of their national HCD strategies. The Federal Republic of Nigeria has moved on to implement its strategy at Federal State level, with substantial support from ECOWAS,” she added.
Mrs Tchintchibidja emphasized that to attain those HCD goals, the ECOWAS Member States must overcome several challenges, including political instability, growing insecurity, terrorist attacks, climate change, epidemics, and economic migration.
She said that despite those challenges, ECOWAS was determined to pursue the HCD agenda with more resources allocated to regional stabilization, resilience, and peacebuilding.
“If we are successful, HCD will power regional growth, enhance security and stability, accelerate the delivery of national development goals, and drive social economic inclusion.
“ECOWAS’s 2050 vision clearly recognizes that we must place our people at the centre of our development and transition from the ECOWAS of States to ECOWAS of the People.
“It is time for action. Collectively, we have the ability to transform our region by 2030 into a community full of hope for our citizens,” she said.
The HCD strategy, approved in 2021, aims for the regional bloc to become sub-Saharan Africa’s top HCD performer by 2030, focusing on health, education, skills, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and the digital economy.
ECOWAS created an HCD index to monitor regional and National progress towards 2030 targets. The first report was in 2022, and the second will be released in June 2024.
Three member States have national HCD strategies, six are developing them, and four others are working with ECOWAS on their strategies. The conference comes as the regional strategy transitions to enhancing visibility and implementation at regional and national levels
Mr. Robert Taliercio O’Brien, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia stated that, with ECOWAS’ population of over 300 million expected to grow rapidly, the region’s young and working population will become even more important to the global economy in the coming years and decades.
“Around 2040, the working age population in Africa will be larger than either China or India. In the countries in which I work – Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone – it is around now that the working age population (ages 25 to 64) is becoming the largest segment of the population.
“This emerging demographic dividend holds the potential to accelerate economic growth and improved social well-being in West Africa. What is needed for this, along with economic opportunities and jobs for youth, is that their health, education, and skills, their human capital, allow them to productively contribute,” he said.
He said the World Bank strongly supported the ECOWAS Human Capital Development Strategy and all efforts to advance its implementation in member states.
Ms Charlotte Lejeune of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reaffirmed her institution’s commitment to promoting human capital development through its partnership with ECOWAS, focusing on innovative solutions to improve education, health, nutrition, and financial inclusion in West Africa.
GNA