ECOWAS Commission and Nigeria HCD Core Working Group organize A One-Day Retreat on Human Capital Development (HCD)

Abuja, December 8, 2022 – The ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the Nigeria Human Capital Development (HCD) Core Working Group has organized a one-day retreat on optimizing the Human Capital Development in the region. Among the objectives of the retreat are the review of strategies and  achievements on human capital development in the year 2022, deliberations on documentation and action plans on Human Capital Potentials in the region as well as the definition of workplans for year 2023 for ECOWAS and the Nigeria Core Working Group.

In her welcome address, the Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E Madam Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, whose speech was delivered by her Executive Assistant, Mr. Abdoul Rauof Salami,  welcome participants to the retreat saying their presence was a clear demonstration of the importance they attach to pushing HCD Agenda in West Africa. She stated that the ECOWAS Commission, following the example of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, launched her Human Capital Development Strategy to support its Member States on their various HCD agenda. She recalled the joint launch in June 2022 of the ECOWAS Regional HCD Strategy and the National HCD Strategy in collaboration with the Nigeria HCD Core Working Group and noted that three (3) other countries in the region have developed their national human capital development strategy while other countries such as Benin Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Senegal, Sierra-Leone and The Gambia are in the process of formulating their strategies.

Madam Yosola Akinbi, Coordinator of Nigeria’s Human Capital Development Core Working Group, in her statement, said the retreat was organized to among other things agree on all recommendations and action plans between ECOWAS HCD and Nigeria CWG, consolidate all recommendations and action plans into a single report for clarity and transparency going forward and ensure total alignment between the ECOWAS Commission and the Nigeria. She noted that Nigeria articulated its Strategy for accelerating

human capital development in December 2018 which was adopted by the ECOWAS Commission in the development of its ECOWAS Integrated Regional Human Capital Development Strategy. She listed the achievements of the Nigeria HCD Strategy to include grant support to twelve (12) selected Nigerian States and the Federal Capital Territory on their implementation of the Human Capital Development (HCD) Agenda.