Cape Verde Commemorates ECOWAS Day

24 May 2012
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Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
press release

Cape Verde authorities have organized a National Week for Regional Integration to raise awareness among the citizens on ECOWAS programmes and projects, as part of activities commemorating the ECOWAS Day on 28th May 2012.

The activities, which kicked off on 21st May 2012 throughout the archipelago were followed by a public lecture on 24th May 2012 in Mindelo, the country’s second largest city. The lecture was attended by government officials, representatives of public institutions, the civil society and private sector, as well as the media and students, among others.

Mr. Belarmino Monteiro Silva, Head of the ECOWAS National Unit in Cape Verde, lamented the poor awareness among Community citizens about regional integration projects being implemented by ECOWAS.

He said the Government of Cape Verde initiated the National Week to address this knowledge gap, adding that regional integration is the solution to the development of ECOWAS Member States.

Mr. Silva noted that for Cape Verde, the only island country in the region, regional integration represented a great opportunity to boost trade, research for solutions to energy challenges, development of telecommunications infrastructure, transport and the new information and communication technology.

Speaking on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, Mr. Liberor Doscof Aho, of the Communication Department, commended the authorities of Cape Verde for initiating the National Week for Regional Integration.

He urged the citizens to improve their participation in the regional integration process, adding that this would put their country in a good stead in the globalizing world.

The opening ceremony was followed by three presentations on ECOWAS objectives, programmes, activities, achievements and Vision 2020, the West African Quality Programme, the Community Development Programme (CDP) and ECOWAS major programmes and projects for Cape Verde.

The presentations were followed by discussions and an interactive session which enabled participants to better understand the regional integration process.

Souvenirs, including caps, pens and T-shirts bearing the ECOWAS logo were later distributed to participants.

The National Week ends in Praia, the nation’s capital, with cultural and sporting events and panel discussions on ECOWAS and regional integration.

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