The CEO of Edugist, Elvis Boniface, has shared powerful reflections following his recent engagement with key leaders in education and innovation across West Africa. Invited by the ECOWAS Department of Education, Science and Culture, Boniface spent a full week in the Republic of Benin as the regional body marked its 50th anniversary.
“I spent a full week in Benin Republic last week on the invitation of ECOWAS’ Department of Education, Science and Culture as the commission celebrates 50 years of existence,” Boniface wrote. “So many reflections. A 50-year institution; some successes, many issues for the people and economy of the region.”
From Monday to Friday, he participated in intense conversations with over ten ministers responsible for Education, Science, Technology, Innovation and Scientific Research across West Africa. “Morning and night, I engaged with at least 10 ministers… and our problems seem the same. Ditto our aspiration, everyone wants to see a connected, working and prosperous Africa,” he noted.
Boniface stressed the central role of ECOWAS in Africa’s development agenda, especially now that it serves roughly 370 million people, following the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
“The activating point of a working Africa is ECOWAS. Before the African Union,” he asserted.
He praised the just-concluded African Forum on Research and Innovation (FARI), which convened leading scientists, researchers, innovators and startups. “And I love it that it wasn’t just another merriment and talking,” he said, expressing hope that ECOWAS leadership would implement many of the key recommendations discussed.
These include: “1. Implement the single currency project (Eco) that has been repeatedly delayed; 2. Work harder to impact poverty reduction, unemployment, and economic diversification in our region; 3. Despite efforts, insecurity from terrorism, banditry, and insurgency continues to worsen, ECOWAS really needs to coordinate member states’ security forces and intelligence services; 4. From this experience, member States should also ‘recognize’ ECOWAS as the region’s ‘lord’ otherwise, Bureaucratic inefficiency, inadequate funding, and overlapping roles with other regional bodies that have resulted to ECOWAS limited effectiveness will persist; and 5. Finally, for young professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators and consultants building prospecting for regional and international market, learn one major UN language or two outside English.”
