Abidjan, 14 November 2017. The former Commissioner for Macroeconomic Policy of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Prof. Lambert N’galadjo Bamba was the facilitator at a press conference recently held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on ‘moving from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of People’.

During the conference, Prof. Bamba presented ECOWAS Institutions, Member States, aspirations, major projects, challenges and prospects, as well as the regional organisation’s Vision 2020.

Before an audience comprising several Ivoirian personalities, notably the Minister of African Integration and Ivoirians in the Diaspora, Ally Coulibaly, the convener and ECOWAS Resident Representative in Cote d’Ivoire, Ambassador Babacar Carlos Mbaye, the conference facilitator highlighted the major challenges of the Vision, namely poverty, high population, conflict and terrorism.

The conference, organised by the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Cote d’Ivoire, is aimed at enhancing the regional bloc’s visibility in the country.

Senior Ivoirian officials, heads of associations of nationals from West African countries, accredited diplomats to Cote d’Ivoire, representatives of civil society organisations and private sector, students and teachers, as well as journalists attended the conference.

The question and answer session, facilitated by the speaker and the representative of the Ivoirian government, Stéphane Aka-Anghui focused on economic development, peace and security, culture and immigration in West Africa, including the single currency and Morocco’s membership of ECOWAS.

Also speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Babacar Carlos Mbaye, discussed the ECOWAS Vision and how it can address the challenges of illegal immigration, youth employment, academic research and culture.