ECOWAS Commission officially Liftoff the National Platforms of the Republics of Liberia and Sierra Leone for the ECOWAS Cross-Border Cooperation Support Programme (ECBCSP 2023-2027)

By Abdul Rahman Bangura-

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Freetown, Sierra Leone– Prior to the launch of the National Platforms of these two Member States, nine (9) Member States namely, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo had launched their National Platforms in 2023 and consequently gained a grant of $100,000 each from the ECOWAS Commission towards the implementation of quick benefit projects in border communities.

In Monrovia, the Resident Representative of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia, Amb. Josephine Nkrumah who exemplified the commissioner in charge of Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission, Massandje Toure-Litse, noted that, the launch of Liberia’s National Platform for the ECBCSP will kick-start with stout implementation between Liberia and its neighboring States.

Same, in Freetown, the Resident Representative of the ECOWAS Commission in Sierra Leone, Amb. Harouna Moussa raised the key function of Civil Society Organizations, state and non-state actors in guaranteeing development in diverse sectors at the local level.

The ECOWAS team delivered a thorough presentation that provided detailed insights into the ECBCSP, encompassing its Objectives, Operational Structure and Funding Mechanism.

Liberia’s ECBCSP National Platform was officially launched by the Deputy Minister for International Cooperation and Economic Integration, Honorable Ibrahim Nyei while that of Sierra Leone was officially launched by the Minister for Planning, Economic Development and Integration represented by the Development Secretary, Peter Sam-Kpaka.

The ECOWAS Cross-Border Cooperation Support Programme is a Multisectoral Development Programme that works with local communities in border regions to assure social cohesion, regional construction and sustainable development.

Following the Launch of the National Platforms in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the ECOWAS Commission will give a grant of $100,000 to each of the Member States to expedite the implementation of identified cross-border project supported by the national platforms.

New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports, Africa Correspondent