Source of funds: 11th EDF (CRIS ref: Regional (ECOWAS): FED/2015/039-059; ITC: FED/2018/398-778; UNIDO: FED/2018/397-314; Cape Verde: FED/2017/040-477; Côte d'Ivoire: FED/ 2017/040-484; Ghana: FED/2017/040-465; Niger: FED/2017/040-489; Nigeria: FED/2017/040-466, Senegal: FED/2017/040-467, Sierra Leone: FED/2017/40470, Togo: FED/2017/040-471)
Decision date: October 2017
Total budget: 120 MEUR)
Implementation period: 5 years
Implementing agency: Indirect management with the partner country; with GIZ (in Togo and Nigeria); with ITC (in Senegal, Sierra Leone and ECOWAS); with UNIDO (in Ghana, Sierra Leone and ECOWAS); with UNDP in Cape Verde
Geographical region: West Africa
The programme aims to support value chains at national and regional level to promote structural transformation and better access to regional and international markets, while taking into account social and environmental concerns. The proposed action incorporates these priorities and aims to ’Strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa and enhance the countries' integration into the regional and international trading system. Specific objectives are the following: "improve the performance, growth and contribution to industry, regional trade and exports of selected value chains" and "improve the climate for business at national and regional levels". The programme is implemented with a subsidiarity approach through different components covering ECOWAS and the West African countries.
Expected results/Output:
1.1 Competitiveness at firms’ level is improved, especially through the Clusters' approach;
1.2 Intermediate organisations of the selected value chains are strengthened and service delivery to MSME is improved and expanded (quality, norms/standards, new green solutions, market access, etc.);
1.3 Better regional linkages among selected value chain actors are promoted and key regional intermediary organisations are supported;
1.4 Regional quality infrastructure system is strengthened, with a view to promote environmental issues;
2.1 Regional policies in favour of industrial competiveness are mainstreamed in the country and help enable a business friendly environment;
2.2 Regional policy and framework to improve industrial competitiveness are harmonised, formulated and monitored;
2.3 The capacity of ECOWAS Commission, UEMOA Commission and Member States to successfully manage, coordinate and monitor the programme is strengthened.
Main results to date:
Cape Verde, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Niger, Togo, Senegal and Sierra Leone were included in phase 1 of the Programme, followed by Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali and Mauritania, in phase 2. Both phases are expected to be operationalised in the course of 2019. The first Strategic Steering Committee took place in October 2018 in Abuja. The EU Delegation in Nigeria manages the regional component and the Nigerian component, in addition to playing a coordinating role with all Delegations in the region.
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