By: Yunus .S. Saliu
The Regional Capacity Building Workshop for Chairpersons and Secretaries of ECOWAS Technical Harmonization Committees (THCs) on Standards successfully concluded over the weekend in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Held from May 28 to 31, 2025, the four-day workshop brought together key stakeholders responsible for standardization in various sectors including manufacturing, Halal and other food products, water, electricals, and tourism.
The workshop aimed to strengthen the skills of THC members on the revised ECOWAS Harmonization of Standards Model (ECOSHAM) and share best practices in standardization at the national, regional, and international levels. It also sought to improve coordination within the THCs to harmonize regional standards aligned with global benchmarks more effectively.
Resource persons were primarily from Ghana and Nigeria, countries recognized as leaders in standards development they delivered several presentations on key standardization issues, strategies for implementation, and promotion of quality assurance.
During the workshop, participants reviewed and adopted the draft agenda without amendments, while recommending that the ECOWAS Commission report to the Technical Management Committee (TMC) on treatment of dated and non-dated references in ECOWAS standards. The workshop also emphasized the need to finalize the ECOSHAM document based on observations made during the sessions. One of the key discussions centered on Tourism and Hotel Standards.
Sheikh Tejan Nyang, Chair of THC 6 and Head of the Institute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG), along with Isatou Njie, Secretary of Gambia’s Tourism Standards Committee, represented The Gambia. Other participants included standardization experts and academics from Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Commenting on the workshop, Sheikh Tejan Nyang highlighted its importance for the tourism sector, especially as The Gambia works to improve hotel standards. “Quality products command better value,” he stated. “If we claim that tourism is key to our economy, then quality standards must be a top priority in every policy decision.”
In his opening address, Lassane Kabore, Director of Industry at the ECOWAS Commission, thanked the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire for the warm reception and underscored the workshop’s strategic importance.
He noted that the revised ECOSHAM model adopted by the Sectoral Council of Ministers in May 2025 is vital for developing coherent regional standards aligned with international norms, particularly within the framework of the West Africa Common Industrial Policy (WACIP).
The successful conclusion of the workshop marks another step forward in ECOWAS’s commitment to regional integration and the development of high-quality, harmonized standards that support economic growth and consumer protection.
