Niamey (Niger) — Last August, Experts from the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA SRO-WA) participated virtually in a capacity building workshop on generational economics and National Transfer Accounts (NTA) methodology.
This training workshop, which is part of the dynamic of supporting States to integrate the imperatives of the demographic dividend into their development policies, was organised in partnership with the Regional Consortium for Research in Generational Economics (CREG). It consisted of five modules, namely: Theory of Generational Economics, Consumption Profiles, Labour Income Profiles, Life-Cycle Deficit and Demographic Dividend Profiles.
In her opening remarks on the work of this capacity building workshop, the Director of the ECA SRO-WA, Ngone Diop, declared that, "With a population of 391 million inhabitants in West Africa in 2019 that is estimated to double by 2100, i.e. to 781 million inhabitants, according to the lowest projections, the need to invest in the demographic transition arises with urgency".
"Capturing the demographic dividend in West Africa is essential for improving the living conditions of our populations through sustainable development and the structural transformation of our economies," said Ngone Diop.
"I encourage my colleagues to familiarise themselves with the handbook for measuring the generational economy, published in 2013 by the United Nations. It will be very useful to us for the achievement of our vision of creating and strengthening our niche, which is to invest in the demographic economics approach", continued Ngone Diop.
"I have no doubt that my colleagues, myself and the ECA in general will do everything possible to institutionalize the NTA approach and support our countries to institutionalize it", concluded the Director of the ECA SRO-WA.
The ECA, under the leadership of Mrs. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary, has embarked on institutional reform to adapt its interventions to the challenges and emerging issues of the continent. Thus, following the review of the Commission's strategic framework, Centres of Excellence on themes in line with Africa's aspirations for growth and prosperity were set up and the ECA SRO-WA hosts the Centre of Excellence on Demographic Dynamics for Development (DDD).
For more information, please contact: Tahirou Gouro, Communications Officer, ECA-SRO/WA,
Email: gouro2@un.org
Sub-Regional Office for West Africa
428 Avenue du Fleuve Niger
B.P. 744
Niamey, Niger
Website: www.uneca.org
