The Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI) Strategy and Governance Work Session held on 6-8 February 2023 was aimed at addressing strategic weaknesses and challenges around the FEWACCI governance instruments.
The work session brought together senior staff of FEWACCI member chambers to review and discuss the organization’s strategic plan and governance structure. Preliminary bilateral consultations had taken on board the views of other stakeholders including policy makers and the ECOWAS Commission.
One of the main objectives of the work session was to ensure a bottom-up approach to building a strategic plan. “The implementation of this strategic plan will allow FEWACCI to be a major player within West Africa and also a tool for the integration of the sub-regional economy,” said Patricia Badolo, Assistant Director General, Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
This approach aimed to involve all stakeholders in the development process to ensure a consensus around the provisions of the new strategic plan and that is reflects the needs and aspirations of all stakeholders. Another critical objective of the work session was to adhere to global good practices for strategy development and good governance constitution amendment.
“For Chamber of Commerce and Industry to effectively execute their mandate, they must have imperatives such as appropriate governance systems for credibility; appropriate resources and capabilities for effectiveness; result-oriented services for shared value with their clients and stakeholders; and a robust business model for sustainability,” describes Miyoba Lubemba, ITC Senior Programme Officer- Institutional Strengthening. Therefore, this work session was essential for the organization as it seeks to strengthen its governance structures and processes with an aim to better serve its members and contribute to the economic development of the region.
