FRANCIS KOKUTSE
April 23 2011
Ecowas secretariat in Abuja. The 15 member Economic Community of West African States, ranked among the poorest countries in the world has launched a regional programme to eradicate poverty. Photo/courtesy ECOWAS
The 15 member Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), ranked among the poorest countries in the world has launched a regional programme to eradicate poverty.
The Regional Poverty Reduction Programme was launched in Senegal’s capital Dakar on Friday, April 22, which the Ecowas President, James Gbeho said would need $15 billion to implement. So far, the regional bloc has been able to secure $7 billion to support the initiative.
“The successful implementation of the regional poverty strategy will, to a large extent depend on the availability of resources, specifically financial resources, for the procurement of material and human resources required to support the programmes and projects elaborated in the strategy, ” Mr Gbeho said.
During the launch, it was pointed out that one out of every two people in the region is afflicted by poverty.
The Commissioner of the Ecowas microeconomic policy directorate, Bamba N’galadzo attributed the cause of “endemic poverty” to “sluggish economic growth, high demographic growth with its corresponding effects as well as crises and conflicts.”
What has happened over the years is the fact that, “almost all countries in the region have designed national poverty reduction strategies with the support of development partners,” Prof Bamba added.
Unfortunately, these efforts have not worked because “these approaches are limited and fragmented, not taking into account certain dimensions of the fight against poverty, particularly cross-border issues.”
Ecowas and the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) , which brings together the Francophone countries in the region, have joined hands in the fight against poverty.
The issue of poverty eradication has been central to ECOWAS’ programme because “it is critical to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,” said Mr Gbeho.
In addition, he said, “the strategy was born out of the need to deepen and accelerate the regional integration process, a need that is deeply rooted in the vision of the founding fathers of ECOWAS and enshrined in the Treaty that binds the member states.”
http://www.africareview.com/News/-/979180/1149586/-/hp5mtez/-/
April 23 2011
Ecowas secretariat in Abuja. The 15 member Economic Community of West African States, ranked among the poorest countries in the world has launched a regional programme to eradicate poverty. Photo/courtesy ECOWAS The 15 member Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), ranked among the poorest countries in the world has launched a regional programme to eradicate poverty.
The Regional Poverty Reduction Programme was launched in Senegal’s capital Dakar on Friday, April 22, which the Ecowas President, James Gbeho said would need $15 billion to implement. So far, the regional bloc has been able to secure $7 billion to support the initiative.
“The successful implementation of the regional poverty strategy will, to a large extent depend on the availability of resources, specifically financial resources, for the procurement of material and human resources required to support the programmes and projects elaborated in the strategy, ” Mr Gbeho said.
During the launch, it was pointed out that one out of every two people in the region is afflicted by poverty.
The Commissioner of the Ecowas microeconomic policy directorate, Bamba N’galadzo attributed the cause of “endemic poverty” to “sluggish economic growth, high demographic growth with its corresponding effects as well as crises and conflicts.”
What has happened over the years is the fact that, “almost all countries in the region have designed national poverty reduction strategies with the support of development partners,” Prof Bamba added.
Unfortunately, these efforts have not worked because “these approaches are limited and fragmented, not taking into account certain dimensions of the fight against poverty, particularly cross-border issues.”
Ecowas and the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) , which brings together the Francophone countries in the region, have joined hands in the fight against poverty.
The issue of poverty eradication has been central to ECOWAS’ programme because “it is critical to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,” said Mr Gbeho.
In addition, he said, “the strategy was born out of the need to deepen and accelerate the regional integration process, a need that is deeply rooted in the vision of the founding fathers of ECOWAS and enshrined in the Treaty that binds the member states.”
http://www.africareview.com/News/-/979180/1149586/-/hp5mtez/-/
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