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ECOWAS to spend $29.66bn on energy, health, others from 2018-2022
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced plans for sub-regional development projects worth 29.66 billion dollars from 2018 to 2022.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel Alain de Souza disclosed this at the just-concluded Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament held in Abuja, while presenting the Status Report on the State of the Community.
De Souza who was represented by the commission’s Vice President, Edward Singhatey, said that the projects would come under the Community Development Programme and cover seven priority sectors including infrastructure, energy, agriculture and health.
“For the period 2018 to 2022, the commission has selected seven priority projects from key sectors namely: Infrastructure, energy, agriculture and health.
“The overall cost of these projects is estimated at US $29.66 billion.
“In order to mobilise funds for the realisation of these priority projects for the region, a donor’s roundtable on the projects will hold in Abidjan on 25th and 26th January”, he said.
Read also: FUEL SCARCITY: War of words continues as marketers refute NNPC’s N26.7bn debt claim
Speaking on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and West Africa, he said that only Gambia, Mauritania and Nigeria were yet to sign, adding that the commission had organised workshops for the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and other trade unions to understand the benefit of the partnership.
De Souza said that the meeting of the Presidential Task Force on the proposed ECOWAS single currency was scheduled to hold in February 2018.
He said the EPA, ECOWAS single currency, the Common External Tariff among others, were plans aimed at promoting integration, intraregional trade and international cooperation.
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