The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, through its Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, is training statistical leaders from ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania from October 5th to 09th, 2026, in Monrovia, Liberia, to strengthen leadership and management capacity and enhance the effectiveness of National Statistical Systems (NSS) across the region.
As part of the World Bank-funded Project for the Harmonisation and Improvement of Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA), the training aims to strengthen the leadership and management capacities of managers within National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and National Statistical Systems (NSSs) of ECOWAS Member States, Mauritania, the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) and Technical Staff from the ECOWAS Commission. The workshop will equip participants with modern skills to lead teams effectively, navigate the evolving data ecosystem, and improve the quality and effectiveness of National Statistical Systems.
In his statement, Hon. Richard Fatorma NGAFUAN, the Director General of the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) welcomed the regional training as an important step towards strengthening leadership and management within National Statistical Systems. He highlighted the longstanding partnership between LISGIS and ECOWAS in building statistical capacity and stressed the need for leaders who can uphold statistical integrity, drive institutional performance, manage change, embrace digital transformation and the responsible use of artificial intelligence, and communicate effectively with decisionmakers and the public. He emphasised that stronger statistical leadership is essential to building institutions that produce reliable, credible and trusted statistics for evidence-based decision-making and improved development outcomes.
Ambassador Mohammed Kenewui KONNEH, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Liberia, at the opening, stressed that effective leadership is essential to building strong, credible and professional National Statistical Systems. He highlighted ECOWAS’ progress in harmonising statistical frameworks and methodologies, while noting persistent challenges in leadership capacity, human and technical resources, data production and accessibility, and the politicisation of official statistics. He emphasised that capable managers are critical to translating regional standards into effective national implementation, protecting the independence and integrity of official statistics, and improving institutional performance.
In his remarks, Sherif TOREY, Director of Research and Statistics at the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), stressed that reliable, timely and comparable statistics are essential for sound economic policymaking and regional integration. He highlighted the growing responsibilities of National Statistical Offices and the need for managers to combine technical expertise with strong leadership, effective resource management, innovation and adherence to professional standards.
Speaking on behalf of Mr. Dehpue Yenpea ZUO, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Samson Bel-Aube NOUGBODOHOUE, Director of Research and Statistics, underscored the critical role of strong leadership and effective management in building credible, responsive and professional National Statistical Systems across the region. He noted that the growing demand for reliable, timely and comparable data requires statistical leaders to strengthen institutional capacity, embrace innovation and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and safeguard the professional independence and integrity of official statistics.
While emphasising the importance of translating knowledge into action, he called on participants to use the training as a catalyst for institutional improvement, adding that “The success of this workshop will ultimately be measured not only by what we learn here, but by what we do with that knowledge when we return to our institutions.”
In his opening address, Hon. Augustine Kpehe NGAFUAN, Minister of Finance and Development Planning of the Republic of Liberia, represented by Hon. Henry D.Z. YANQUOI, Assistant Minister for Economic Policy, highlighted that the ECOWAS Country Report on Liberia is an important instrument for evidence-based policymaking and regional development. He outlined Liberia’s ongoing efforts under the “ARREST Agenda” for Inclusive Development to strengthen fiscal management, revenue mobilisation, infrastructure, agriculture, governance and human capital, while calling on stakeholders to use the report to guide investment, policy and development support. He stressed that “The launch of this report is only the beginning. Its true value lies in how we use it,” urging all stakeholders to translate its findings and recommendations into concrete actions that advance inclusive and sustainable development in Liberia.”
During the opening ceremony the Republic of Liberia launched its Country Report on Dynamics of Socio-Economic Performance, Food Security, and the Challenges of Regional Integration in ECOWAS.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
