ECOWAS, EU AND GIZ ADVANCE FINALISATION OF TRADE IN SERVICES PROGRAMME WORKPLANS

The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the German Cooperation through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), has held a technical working session to finalise workplans for 13 strategic reform processes under the Trade in Services Programme (TiSP).

The session, held on 24 September 2026 at the New ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, brought together representatives of relevant ECOWAS Directorates, the EU Delegation and GIZ to jointly review and refine detailed workplans developed under the programme.

The meeting followed earlier technical engagements on the review of the TiSP framework and was aimed at advancing the workplans towards finalisation and implementation. The TiSP supports regional integration priorities by strengthening trade in services governance, improving regional competitiveness and supporting the implementation of regional commitments under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Agenda.

The current exercise focused on ensuring that the proposed interventions are coherent, realistic and aligned with institutional responsibilities and the strategic direction of the 13 reform processes.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Hartmut James, Senior Technical Advisor at GIZ, thanked the ECOWAS Commission and other partners for their continued engagement in the process. He described the session as an important final step towards completing the workplan process, stressing the need for technical feedback from the responsible Directorates to ensure that the proposed activities are properly aligned with institutional priorities and responsibilities. He noted that the next stage would be to validate the workplans and proceed towards implementation.