Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire — The Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA/SRO-WA) is organizing, starting today at the National School of Statistics and Applied Economics (ENSEA) in Abidjan, an expert group meeting to review and validate the study on the implementation of the Centre of Excellence in Demographic Dynamics for Development in West Africa.

This meeting, which comes on the heels of the new ECA strategic framework, aims to facilitate the operationalization of the ECA/SRO-WA's area of specialization as a think tank in demographic dynamics for development in West Africa.

According to the Acting Director of the ECA/SRO-WA, Mr Bakary Dosso, "This choice is based on the specificity of demographic dynamics in West Africa. The sub-region accounts for 30% of the continent's population, and plays host to Nigeria, which is the most populated country in Africa. Furthermore, the sub-region has the highest fertility and natural population growth rates in the world, while being an area characterized by the rise of migration challenges and emergency situations of population movements partly due to insecurity."

This two-day workshop will take the form of plenary sessions, with presentations from ECA staff and experts. Participants at this meeting will contribute to, and enrich, discussions; and validate the diagnosis establishing the link between demographic dynamics and development in Africa in general, and West Africa in particular. It will enable the ECA to define the strategic direction, develop the Centre's 2019-2022 Business Plan, organizational chart, resources, funding and communication strategy.

This meeting is being attended by experts from various think tanks, institutions and organizations specialised in demographic dynamics for development, as well as representatives of Member States and regional organizations.

For more information, please contact: Tahirou Gouro, Communications Officer, ECA/SRO-WA,

Mob.: +227 90 99 99 39, Email: gouro2@un.org