Abuja, 15th May 2019. The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) received a delegation from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on a courtesy visit to discuss ways of strengthening the GIZ – ECOWAS Cooperation.

Top on the agenda of the meeting, which was held on 14th May 2019 at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, are Organizational Development, Trade and Customs, Peace and Security, Migration, Health, the Regional Stabilization Fund, ECOWAS Post 2020 Vision, Implementation of Institutional Reform and other areas of existing and future Cooperation with the GIZ.

Discussions also involved issues relating to support for the ECOWAS Early Warning System, Maritime Security and the West African Trade Facilitation Project, among others.

The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Madam Finda Koroma, in her welcome address, gave an overview of the existing cooperation between ECOWAS and the Federal Republic of Germany. She said that the relationship between GIZ and ECOWAS has been fruitful over the years and likened it to a “friendship” rather than a cooperation. She added that it has been a win-win for both sides.

Dr. Sabine Müller, GIZ Director General Africa, in her response, said that the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany is as pleased as ECOWAS with the cooperation between the two partners and assured the ECOWAS Commission that GIZ will improve its delivery of services to the institution.