In 2017, as part of the process of harmonization of statistics, through the EU-funded West Africa Quality System Programme (WAQSP) implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with Member States, ECOWAS developed regional quality and industrial database named “ECOQUIB”. In 2022, in the framework of the regional component of the EU-funded West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) also implemented by UNIDO, the ECOQUIB platform has been updated including new features and new data on 04 selected regional value chains as well as other domains.
Its purpose is to collect and make available various information related to quality and industry within the Member States. Its establishment thus enables policy makers, researchers, investors, students, journalists, etc. to have a reliable source of data on quality and industry within ECOWAS. On 15th February 2023, UNIDO handed over the database to ECOWAS that officially launched it as its first regional Quality and Industry database. Its implementation mobilised statisticians, computer scientists, quality experts and 30 focal points who collected data at the national level over 2 campaigns: 2019 and 2022.
Today, this database ECOQUIB is ready for use by economic actors in the region and other interested parties. The event was held in the presence of stakeholders such as UNIDO, European Union, ECOWAS through a ceremony in hybrid format: face-to-face and online, under the chairmanship of the ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mrs. Massandjé TOURE- LITSE.
The WACOMP is funded under the 11th European Development Fund and this programmatic initiative between the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and the European Union with the support of the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union Commission (UEMOA) includes 01 regional component and 16 country components. Its overall objective is to strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa and improve the integration of countries into the regional and international trading system.
