Dr HEMOU P. DEDOU
Senegal wins ECOWAS Wrestling Tournament in Dosso
Functioning of Community Institutions to top discussions at the ECOWAS statutory meetings in Dakar
Marcel De Souza Makes Case For 16th Economy For The 15 ECOWAS Member States
Courtesy visit of UNODC to the ECOWAS Commission
The Executive Director of UNODC Mr. Yuri Fedotou led a delegation from UNODC and Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pay a courtesy call to the ECOWAS Commission on the 5th of May, 2016. They met with the New ECOWAS Vice President, Mr. Edward Singhatey in the Presence of ECOWAS Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, Dr. Fatimata Dia Sow, Dr. Sintiki Ugbe, Director of Gender, Drugs and Youth development and other team member of the Project.
This courtesy call was to kick start the implementation of the Visibility Actions for ECOWAS – EU Grant Project on “Support for ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Illicit Drug Trafficking, related Organized Crime and Drug Abuse in West Africa”




Swearing in of new commissioners of the ECOWAS Commission in Dakar, 13th May 2016
Courtesy calls on president ECOWAS commission by Jean De Dieu Somda; Sem Fulvio Rustico, Ambassador Of Italy In Nigeria And H.E. Michel Arion, Head Of European Union, Nigeria. Abuja, 16th May 2016
ECOWAS Develops New Statutes to Reposition ‘Council of the Wise’
Abuja, 19th May 2016
A meeting on the draft Statute of the ECOWAS Council of the Wise was organized by The ECOWAS Directorate of Mediation and Facilitation in a move to reposition the ECOWAS Council of the Wise organised a two day meeting of Experts from Member States in Abuja, Nigeria from the 4th to 5th May, 2016 with support from the German International Development Agency (GIZ) to draft a new statue. The ECOWAS Council of the Wise, as defined by Article 20 of the 1999 Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace-keeping and Security, otherwise known as the Mechanism, is one of the mediation organs of the ECOWAS Commission. The Council of the Wise was operationalized following the adoption of the Mechanism with the appointment of Members of the Council by the President of the Commission, who would, on behalf of the President of the Commission, use their good offices and experience to play the role of mediators, conciliators and facilitators for the purposes of preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution in the region. Members of the Council of the Wise have over the years, been engaged in various preventive diplomacy capacities such as Special Envoys, Mediators, Heads and members of pre-electoral facts finding and election observation missions among other assignments. In line with the new impetus to reposition the Council of the Wise, a draft Statute detailing the mandate, function and administrative framework to guide the work of the Council was developed by the ECOWAS Directorate of Mediation and Facilitation which was debated during the meeting in Abuja. Mrs. Halima Ahmed, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security represented by Mrs. Florence Iheme, Ag. Director, Mediation and Facilitation in her welcome remarks welcomed participants and commended them for accepting to be part of the workshop. She also underlined the major role played by the Council of the Wise in maintaining peace and stability in the ECOWAS region. After exhaustive deliberations, inputs, comments and observations during the two-day session, the necessary amendments were made to the draft Statute which was adopted at the end of the meeting. |
Visits of officials and activites of the President of the ECOWAS Commission
Visit of H.E. Eric Mayoraz, Amb. de Suisse to ECOWAS President H.E. Marcel Allain de Souza on 18th May, 2016 Abuja, Nigeria.
Right, ECOWAS Commission President H.E. Marcel Allain de Souza welcoming H.E. Eric Mayoraz Amb. de Suisse
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Visits of H.E. Michael Zenner, Amb. of Germany and H.E. Andrea Ori West African Regional Rep. of Human Right Darkar, Senegal to ECOWAS President Abuja, Nigeria 18th May, 2016. |
ECOWAS, UNESCO Support African Mathematical Scientists
ECOWAS, GPEN, COE host Cybercrimes training
ECOWAS in collaboration with the Global Prosecutors E-crime Network (GPEN) of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) and the Council of Europe (COE) is hosting a three-day training programme for Member States between the 24th and 26th May 2016 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The training for prosecutors and investigators in the region will strengthen the fight against cybercrime in the region by focusing on tackling common challenges inhibiting the detection, investigations and prosecutions of cybercrime and other crimes that generate electronic evidence in Member States. |
Get to know ECOWAS training programme holds in abuja
Profile of Mr. Kone Tanou Leon, the ECOWAS Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN)

Mr. Kone Tanou Leon is the ECOWAS Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN). He was born on the 4th of March 1955 in Toumodi, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business and Public Administration from the South-Eastern University. Washington D. C, U.S.A (1982). This is complimented by a 1986 High Studies Diploma in Commercial Policy from the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) course in Geneva, Switzerland. He had earlier in 1979 obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree from the University of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire as well as a Degree in History and Geography in 1977 from the same institution.
Mr. Tanou began his public service life in 1983 as Head of the Department of Trade, Ministry of Commerce, Cote d’Ivoire. Before his current appointment, he was Minister Counsellor and Deputy High Commissioner, Embassy of Cote d’Ivoire in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Benin from January 2012 to April 2014.
Between August 2007 and January 2012, Tanou was the Counselor, economic affairs, bilateral cooperation and ECOWAS matters and later First Counselor at the same Embassy. He had been the Deputy Director of Documentation and Archives of the Department of Communication and Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Côte d’Ivoire between March 2005 and December 2006.
He had also served as the Senior Officer, Department of Ivoirians abroad, Ministry of Foreign Affairs after completing his term as Senior Officer in the Department of International Economic Relations of the same Ministry between 2002 and 2005
Mr. Tanou was the Counsellor in charge of Economic and Commercial Affairs, Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire in Algeria and later Tunisia between July 1987 and October 2002.
He has participated in several ECOWAS technical meetings from 2007 up to the period of his current appointment. These meetings included the Council of Ministers and ECOWAS Ordinary and Extraordinary Summits as well as related meetings such as the annual Conferences of the American Planning Association (APA), Boston in April 1981 and in April 1982 in Dallas (Texas) USA.
Among the relevant training sessions he has attended are the Marketing Training
Seminar (MATCHMAKERII) for Export in Development Emerging Countries, Rotterdam, Netherlands in March 1985 as well as the seminar on fairs, exhibitions and trade missions organized for promoters of African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) French exporting countries by ITC / UNCTAD / GATT in Geneva, Switzerland, in March 1986.
Mr. Tanou had been the President of the 62nd edition of the trainees of the GATT in Geneva, Switzerland 1986 and a member of the Ariana La Rose Rotary Club of the District 9010, Tunis. He was also the chairman of the Diplomatic Club of Algiers between 1992 and 1993 and had been a member of the Italian Club of Tunis in the years 1999 to 2000
He is fluent in both French and English and has a working knowledge of Spanish. He is married with four children.
SERVICE CONTRACT NOTICE Technical Assistance to ECOWAS for the Implementation of the 10th EDF Transport Facilitation Project II (TFP II)
SERVICE CONTRACT NOTICE
Technical Assistance to ECOWAS for the Implementation of the 10th EDF
Transport Facilitation Project II (TFP II)
Location – West Africa (ECOWAS): Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Togo
1. Publication reference
EuropeAid/137681/IH/SER/ROC
2. Procedure
Restricted
3. Programme title
Transport Facilitation Project II 10th EDF – Support to the Commissions of ECOWAS and
UEMOA
4. Financing
Financing agreement – ROC/FED/2014/024-204
5. Contracting Authority
The Regional Authorising Officer (RAO) for the EDF, representing the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS), Abuja, NIGERIA
CONTRACT SPECIFICATION
6. Nature of contract
Fee-based
7. Contract description
The contractor will support the ECOWAS Commission, based in Abuja, Nigeria, to manage the
implementation of the Transport Facilitation Programme II. The general objective of the programme
is to contribute to the growth of intra an extra community trade and exchanges through the
installation of a transport facilitation system. The implementation period will be 28 months.
The specific objectives are:
1. The operationalisation of the Joint Border Post of Noepe (Ghana/Togo) and Seme (Nigeria/Benin)
2. Establishment of the Road Information System in order to strengthen the management and
planning of improved road infrastructures in regional corridors.
3. A more efficient transport system in the regional corridors. Especially by reducing abnormal
practices and having more efficient border control systems and a more modern road
transportation sector.
The contract includes programme estimates.
The Technical Assistance team consists of two long-term transport facilitation specialists:
. One transport specialist and experienced programme manager, with extensive
knowledge of EU procurement and financing procedures, who will also act as the Team
Leader.
. One programme/financial manager with a background in transport facilitation
programmes, particularly funded by the EU.
The long-term experts will be supported by a pool of short-term experts in the areas of
transport logistics, cross-border customs systems interconnection, related experts and local
staff.
8. Number and titles of lots
One lot only
9. Maximum budget
EUR 2,800,000
10. Scope for additional services
The Contracting Authority may, at its own discretion, extend the project in duration and/or
scope subject to the availability of funding up to a maximum not exceeding the length and
value of the initial contract . Any extension of the contract would be subject to satisfactory
performance by the Contractor.
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
11. Eligibility
Participation in tendering is open on equal terms to natural and legal persons (participating either
individually or in a grouping (consortium) of tenderers which are established in a Member State of
the European Union, ACP States or in a country or territory authorised by the ACP_EC Partnership
Agreement under which the contract is financed (see also item 29 below). Participation is also
open to international organisations.
12. Candidature
All eligible natural and legal persons (as per item 11 above) or groupings of such persons
(consortia) may apply.
A consortium may be a permanent, legally-established grouping or a grouping which has been
constituted informally for a specific tender procedure. All members of a consortium (ie, the
leader and all other members) are jointly and severally liable to the Contracting Authority.
The participation of an ineligible natural or legal person (as per item 11) will result in the
automatic exclusion of that person. In particular, if that ineligible person belongs to a
consortium, the whole consortium will be excluded.
13. Number of applications
No more than one application can be submitted by a natural or legal person whatever the form
of participation (as an individual legal entity or as leader or member of a consortium
submitting an application). In the event that a natural or legal person submits more than one
application, all applications in which that person has participated will be excluded.
14. Shortlist alliances prohibited
Any tenders received from tenderers comprising firms other than those mentioned in the
short-listed application forms will be excluded from this restricted tender procedure unless
prior approval from the Contracting Authority has been obtained (see Practical Guide –
PRAG- 2.4.3.). Short-listed candidates may not form alliances or subcontract to each other for
the contract in question.
15. Grounds for exclusion
As part of the application form, candidates must submit a signed declaration, included in the
standard application form, to the effect that they are not in any of the exclusion situations
listed in Section 2.3.3 of the PRAG
16. Sub-contracting
Subcontracting is allowed
17. Number of candidates to be short-listed
On the basis of the applications received, between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit
detailed tenders for this contract. If the number of eligible candidates meeting the selection
criteria is less than the minimum of 4, the Contracting Authority may invite the candidates
who satisfy the criteria to submit a tender.
PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE
18. Provisional date of invitation to tender
August 2016
19. Provisional commencement date of the contract
November 2016
20. Initial period of implementation of tasks
28 months
SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIA
21. Selection criteria
The following selection criteria will be applied to candidates. In the case of applications
submitted by a consortium, these selection criteria will be applied to the consortium as a
whole unless specified otherwise. The selection criteria will not be applied to natural persons
and single-member companies when they are sub-contractors.
1) Economic and financial capacity of candidate (based on item 3 of the application
form). In case of candidate being a public body, equivalent information should be
provided.
a) The annual turnover of the candidate for each of the last three financial years (2013, 2014,
2015) must exceed €1,500,000 EUR; and
b) The current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) in the last year for which
accounts have been closed (2015) must be at least 1. In case of a consortium this criterion
must be fulfilled by each member.
2) Professional capacity of candidate (based on items 4 and 5 of the application form)
The candidate must have at least 15 permanent staff of which at least 5 must be working in the
area of transport and transit facilitation as well as regional integration in developing countries.
3) Technical capacity of candidate (based on items 5 and 6 of the application form)
(a) The candidate has provided services under at least one (1) contract with a
budget of at least that of this contract (€2,800,000) in the area of transport or
transit facilitation, which was implemented at any moment during the
reference period: (2013, 2014 2015)
This means that the project the candidate refers to could have been started or
completed at any time during the indicated period but it does not necessarily
have to be started and completed during that period, nor implemented during the
entire period. Candidates/tenderers are allowed to refer either to projects
completed within the reference period (although started earlier) or to projects
not yet completed. In the first case the project will be considered in its whole if
proper evidence of performance is provided (statement or certificate from the
entity which awarded the contract, proof of final payment). In case of projects
still on-going only the portion satisfactorily completed during the reference
period although started earlier will be taken into consideration. This portion will
have to be supported by documentary evidence (similarly to projects completed)
also detailing its value. If a candidate/tenderer has implemented the project in a
consortium, the percentage that the candidate/tenderer has successfully
completed must be clear from the documentary evidence, together with a
description of the nature of the services provided if the selection criteria relating
to the pertinence of the experience have been used.
(b) The candidate should provide proofs of a minimum of 5 years working experience
across the fields related to regional economic integration, transport facilitation and
institutional capacity building.
(c) The candidate should have implemented at least a service contract through
programme estimates in the last three years, using international or EDF procurement
and contract procedures.
Previous experience which caused breach of contract and termination by a Contracting
Authority shall not be used as reference.
An economic operator may, where appropriate and for a particular contract, rely on the
capacities of other entities, regardless of the legal nature of the links which it has with them.
It must in that case prove to the Contracting Authority that it will have at its disposal the
resources necessary for performance of the contract, for example by producing an
commitment on the part of those entities to place those resources at its disposal. Such
entities, for instance the parent company of the economic operator, must respect the same
rules of eligibility – notably that of nationality – and must fulfil the same relevant selection
criteria as the economic operator. With regard to technical and professional criteria, an
economic operator may only rely on the capacities of other entities where the latter will
perform the works or services for which these capacities are required. With regard to
economic and financial criteria, the entities upon whose capacity the tenderer relies, become
jointly and severally liable for the performance of the contract..
If more than 8 eligible candidates meet the above selection criteria, the relative strengths
and weaknesses of the applications of these candidates must be reexamined to identify
the eight best candidates. The only factors which will be taken into consideration during
this re-examination are:
i) Experience in transport facilitation projects: two points for each additional project above
the minimum requirement.
ii) Experience in projects with programme estimates. Two points for each additional project
above the minimum.
22. Award criteria
Best price-quality ratio.
APPLICATION
23. Deadline for receipt of applications
16:00 Nigerian time on Monday, 27th June 2016
Any application received by the Contracting Authority after this deadline will not be
considered.
24. Application format and details to be provided
Applications must be submitted using the standard application form, the format and instructions
of which must be strictly observed. The application form is available from the following Internet
address: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/annexes.do?chapterTitleCode=B
The application must be accompanied by a declaration of honour on exclusion and selection
criteria using the template available from the following Internet address:
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/annexes.do?chapterTitleCode=A
Any additional documentation (brochure, letter, etc) sent with an application will not be taken
into consideration.
25. How applications may be submitted
Applications must be submitted in English exclusively to the Contracting Authority in a
sealed envelope:
. EITHER by recorded delivery (official postal service) to :
Commissioner for Infrastructure
ECOWAS Commission Annex, Niger House,
3rd Floor, Plot B17 Ralph Sodeinde Street,
Adjacent to Akwa Ibom House,
CBD, Abuja, Nigeria
. OR hand delivered (including courier services) directly to the Contracting Authority in return
for a signed and dated receipt to:
Commissioner for Infrastructure
ECOWAS Commission Annex, Niger House,
3rd Floor, Plot B17 Ralph Sodeinde Street,
Adjacent to Akwa Ibom House,
CBD, Abuja, Nigeria
The Contract title and the Publication reference (see item 1 above) must be clearly
marked on the envelope containing the application and must always be mentioned in all
subsequent correspondence with the Contracting Authority.
Applications submitted by any other means will not be considered.
By submitting an application candidates accept to receive notification of the outcome of the
procedure by electronic means. Such notification shall be deemed to have been received on the
date upon which the contracting authority sends it to the electronic address referred to in the
application.
26. Alteration or withdrawal of applications
Candidates may alter or withdraw their applications by written notification prior to the
deadline for submission of applications. No application may be altered after this deadline.
Any such notification of alteration or withdrawal shall be prepared and submitted in
accordance with Item 25. The outer envelope (and the relevant inner envelope if used) must
be marked ‘Alteration’ or ‘Withdrawal’ as appropriate.
27. Operational language
All written communications for this tender procedure and contract must be in English.
28. Date of publication of prior information notice
2nd of December 2015
The notice number in OJ S may be found under the title of the project in the published notice
on the EuropeAid webpage.
29. Legal basis
Annex IV to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and
Pacific Group of States of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States,
of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 as amended in Luxembourg on 25 June
2005 and in Ouagadougou on 22 June 2010. Reference is made to Annex IV as revised by
Decision 1/2014 of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers of 20 June 2014.
30. Additional information
The opening hours of the Contracting Authority is between 9:00 a.m. till 17:00 p.m.
Mondays to Fridays except on public holidays.
ECOWAS MOVES FOR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT FROM NIGERIA
Even though ECOWAS enjoys fraternal relations with Nigeria, it nevertheless wants a renewal of the partnership that currently exists given the preeminence of Nigeria among the nations within the fold of the Economic Community of West African States.
To this end, the President of the ECOWAS Commission Alain de Souza on Thursday 26th of May 2016 met with the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari to discuss matters of regional importance as well as to solicit the continuous support of Nigeria towards ensuring that the regional group fulfill its integration mandate.
President de Souza who was accompanied by the full compliments of senior officials of the ECOWAS Commission had earlier visited the Nigerian ministry of Foreign Affairs where he conferred with the Minister of State Hajia Khadija Bukar Ibrahim before proceeding to the Presidential Villa to meet with the Nigerian President. Both presidents discussed in an atmosphere of utmost cordiality.
Discussions during the meetings centered on matters of urgent regional importance, collective security, finances, Common External Tariffs (CET), the Economic Partnership agreement (EPA), intra-community trade as well as reforms and adjustments at ECOWAS.
President Souza who said he was desirous of consolidating the age-long collaboration between the regional group and Nigeria and to strengthen the existing framework of cooperation noted that, Nigeria alone constitute 200 million of the 320 million people in West Africa “We refer rightly to Nigeria as the locomotive engine of West Africa and problems cannot be solved without the locomotive being involved. So there is a leadership role Nigeria has to play” President Souza added.
Emphasizing Nigeria’s unparalleled leadership role in West Africa, President de Souza recalled the country’s outstanding sacrifices in the past in trying to ensure greater stability and integration of the region with examples abounding its peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He commended President Buhari for Nigeria’s recent successes in the war against terrorism and insurgency.
Responding, the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari formally welcomed de Souza to Nigeria and stressed that he would do what is best to make the mandate of the ECOWAS Commission president and his team realisable.
Earlier, the Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ibrahim disclosed that Nigeria accords great importance to ECOWAS stressing that the background and wealth of experience of President de Souza as a banker and finance manager would come handing in resolving some of the old issues on ground before his resumption of office.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission was accompanied on the visits by Vice President Edward Singhatey, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security (PAPS) Halima Ahmed as well as the Commissioner for finance and his Administration and Conference counterpart Messrs. Allieu Sesay and Stephen Nartey
Happy ECOWAS Day!
Happy ECOWAS Day!
Bonne celebration de la journee de la CEDEAO!
Feliz dia da CEDEAO!
ECOWAS, F.E.S. emphasize role of the media in west African integration
The role of the media in bringing the positive impact of the integration activities of ECOWAS to the doorsteps of citizens of West Africa is of more importance today than ever before. This position was strongly echoed at the “Get to Know ECOWAS” Training for journalists which began on the 30th of May 2016 in Abuja.
The study tour and training programme is organized by the Communication Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). The idea is to create a pool of well-informed media practitioners who would act as catalysts to bridge the information and awareness gap between ECOWAS and the citizens of West Africa while leveraging on the strategic importance of the media to ensure that milestones of ECOWAS are brought closer to the people.
Welcoming journalists from the West African region to the programme on behalf of His Excellency Marcel Alain de Souza, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Director of Communication Mrs. Sandra Oulate Fattoh Elleingand stressed the imperativeness of having a crop of better informed journalists about ECOWAS and its institution towards the envisaged greater integration of the area, with an ECOWAS of the people in sight by 2020
Speaking on The Role of Communication Directorate in Creating Awareness Amongst the Citizens of The ECOWAS Community Mrs. Fattoh Elleigand said the Abuja study tour and training programme presents an ample opportunity to discuss mutual interest of the practitioners, ECOWAS Commission and the people of West Africa in general.
She said that it is gratifying that the agenda covers a wide range of interesting items having to do with the operations and programmes of ECOWAS and as they relate to the specific needs of the people of the region.
The Resident Representative, FES Nigeria Madam Seija Sturies maintained that the FES which has been involved in the development process in Nigeria since 1976, is now actively engaged in the promotion of participatory democracy. The focus she said, has become necessary because “without information this will just be a façade”
Madam Sturies further disclosed that the collaboration with ECOWAS also stems from the fact that FES is a German organization that is committed to the values of social democracy and is collaborating in Nigeria with different stakeholders such as human rights and civil society organisations, the Parliament, as well as Trade Unions
The citizens of West Africa, she continued, deserve to know about the policies and programmes of those that are at the helm of affairs just as they deserve to contribute if need be to the decisions that directly affect them “and the onus is on the media to bring information to citizens”
Making reference to several ECOWAS integration programmes and provisions such as the one on Free Movement of Goods, Persons and Services, she noted that it has become necessary to find out how many of traders in the region are aware of the provisions as they operate across the border whereas, making such information available at the community level can help change some of the practices, and then facilitates and accelerate regional integration and development.
The German ambassador to Nigeria Michael Zenner maintained that the collaborative effort at bringing about greater awareness of the ECOWAS achievements and prospects stems from the recognition that trans-national problems cannot be solved by one nation alone just as the commitment of ECOWAS to integration, stability and collective security can help to foster public trust among member nations.
Stressing that the task at hand was to sensitise journalists on their role in the actualisation of ECOWAS vision, he said the huge expectations after the study tour is for the journalists to explain the ECOWAS Community programmes to the people, how it works and who it works for knowing that it is only by working together that Ambassador Zenner added that we can build a west African house strong enough to withstand the storms of the future.
During the Get to Know ECOWAS Opening-Day session, a fifteen-minute documentary also featured as well as power point presentations on The History of ECOWAS and Role of ECOWAS in Ensuring Peace and Stability in West Africa.
Council of ministers lauds remarkable progress by the Community
ECOWAS tasks journalists on regional integration
49th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government
Follow the event here 49th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government