The regional workshop on the framework document for the ECOWAS quality and industrial database was held from 23 to 25 August 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria. Participants included the WAQSP National Focal Points (NFP) and National Technical Coordinators (NTC), the representatives of national institutions in member States dealing with statistics and representatives of the private sector in the region, including the Federation of West African Employers’ Associations-FWAEA and FEWACCI. This database is intended to be a reference platform on quality infrastructure both at national and regional levels. It highlights a wide range of information relating to the status of the industry in the community.

Mr. Aka Kouassi, WAQSP Chief Technical Advisor, told participants that the main aim of the meeting was to review the documents proposed for the setup of the ECOWAS quality and industry database. The workshop’s opening ceremony was coupled with that of the WAQSP3^rdEnlargedSteering Committee meeting. In his speech, Mr. Bernard Bau, WAQSP Project Manager, stated that the workshop would gather guidance from participants, particularly on matters related to the collection, maintenance and sustainability of the database. According to him,”[this database] will provide reliable and useful data for industrial development”. The ECOWAS Commissioner for Industry and Private Sector Promotion, Mr. Kalilou Traoré, stated in his speech that this database must be designed to take into account the factors required for its sustainability. He also stressed the importance of providing useful data to stakeholders in the industry, particularly within ECOWAS.

At the end of the proceedings, the comments of the experts at the workshop contributed to the amendment of the database framework document. Furthermore, several recommendations were made, including the need for technical assistance for ECOWAS member States for data collection from national bodies responsible for industry, quality and statistics.