ECOWAS must accelerate human capital development for economic growth

Damtien Tchintchibidja, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, has promoted the coordination of efforts to accelerate the implementation of the bloc’s Human Capital Development (HCD) strategy.

This would allow the region to harness the potential of its abundant youth to accelerate its economic and social development.

Mrs Tchintchibidja made the call as she opened a three-day regional technical conference on Human Capital Development (HCD) in Accra on Wednesday.

The conference, organized by the ECOWAS Commission, aims to strengthen the commitment of ECOWAS Member States, partners and 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 to prioritize human capital development across West Africa. It will review the progress made in the development and implementation of the ECOWAS HCD strategy.

The theme was “Accelerating human capital development in West Africa: from strategy to execution.”

Ms Tchintchibidja noted that ECOWAS was one of the youngest regions in the world and its youth population is expected to continue growing.

“Almost 44 percent of our population is under 15 years old and 65 percent is under 25 years old. However, the potential of our young population is not being fully realized due to limited opportunities. Challenges such as high unemployment, widespread illiteracy and restricted access to basic social services prevail, and women are disproportionately affected by these problems,” she stated.

Ms Tchintchibidja said previous efforts and investments had not adequately addressed the development of a healthy, well-educated population fully empowered to contribute to the social and economic growth of countries in the region.

He said the path to economic and social advancement in the region required a more substantial and united effort to foster human potential.

The ECOWAS Vice President stated that since the regional strategy was launched in 2021, ECOWAS has actively promoted the development of national DHC initiatives, with substantial results.

“Today we can proudly say that seven (7) of the 15 ECOWAS Member States have received funding from ECOWAS 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 made progress in the implementation of its strategy at the federal state level, with substantial support from ECOWAS,” he added.

Ms. Tchintchibidja emphasized that to achieve those HCD goals, ECOWAS Member States must overcome several challenges, including political instability, growing insecurity, terrorist attacks, climate change, epidemics and economic migration.

He said that despite those challenges, ECOWAS was determined to pursue the DHC agenda with more resources allocated to regional stabilization, resilience and peacebuilding.

“If we are successful, the HCD will boost regional growth, improve security and stability, accelerate the achievement of national development goals and drive social economic inclusion.

“ECOWAS Vision 2050 clearly recognizes that we must put our people at the center of our development and transition from the ECOWAS of States to the ECOWAS of Peoples.

“It is time to act. 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 the best performing HCD country in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, focusing on health, education, skills, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and digital economy.

ECOWAS created an HCD index to monitor regional and national progress towards the 2030 goals. The first report was in 2022 and the second will be published in June 2024.

Three Member States have national DHC strategies, six are developing them and another four are working with ECOWAS on their strategies. The conference comes as the regional strategy moves to improve visibility and implementation at regional and national levels.

Mr. Robert Taliercio O’Brien, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia, said that with ECOWAS’ population of more than 300 million people expected to grow rapidly, the young and working population of the region will be even more important for the global economy. economy in the coming years and decades.

“Around 2040, Africa’s working-age population will be larger than that of China or India. In the countries where I work – Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone – the working-age population (between 25 and 64 years old) is now becoming the largest segment of the population.

“This emerging demographic dividend has the potential to accelerate economic growth and improve social well-being in West Africa. What is needed for this, along with economic opportunities and jobs for young people, is that their health, education and skills, their human capital, allow them to contribute productively,” he said.

He said the World Bank strongly supports 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.