ECOWAS and World Bank Discuss WURI Programme Advancements

Overview of the WURI Programme

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the World Bank, convened the 18th meeting of the Coordination Committee for the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Programme. Conducted virtually on March 11, 2026, this crucial gathering included project coordinators from five ECOWAS member countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Togo. It served as a platform to assess the project’s implementation progress and outline priorities for the second and third quarters of 2026.

Objectives of the WURI Programme

The WURI Programme, backed by World Bank funding, aims to enhance the number of individuals with recognized government identification within participant countries, thus facilitating their access to essential services both domestically and across borders. The initiative targets three core areas:

• Strengthening Legal and Institutional Frameworks: Building a robust foundation for foundational identification (fID) systems.
• Establishing Reliable fID Infrastructure: Creating dependable identification systems that serve citizens effectively.
• Enabling Access to Services: Facilitating service access through fID-issued identity credentials.

Key Meeting Highlights

The meeting was officially opened by Mr. Albert Siaw-Boateng, the Director of Free Movement of Persons and Migration and Project Coordinator of the WURI Project, representing Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission. Following the opening remarks, additional insights were provided by a World Bank representative and Mr. Moniyiel Kantchoa, the Chair of the Coordination Committee.

Country-Specific Achievements

During the session, project coordinators shared significant achievements, updates, and future plans for the next quarters. These presentations highlighted each nation’s progress and outlined strategies for continued success.

Upcoming Supervisory Committee Meeting

An essential agenda item was the review and endorsement of the agenda for the upcoming Supervisory Committee meeting, slated for March 25, 2026, at 10:00 WAT. This committee acts as the highest governance body for the WURI Programme, responsible for validating the Coordination Committee’s decisions and recommendations.

The Governance Structure of WURI

The Coordination Committee is fundamental to the WURI Programme’s governance, responsible for steering its operational objectives, mobilizing technical expertise through a dedicated Technical Committee, and enhancing collaboration among participating countries. The outcomes from this committee are forwarded to the Supervisory Committee for confirmation.

Commitment to Regional Integration

The meeting reinforced a shared commitment among ECOWAS, participating countries, and development partners to foster inclusive and interoperable identification systems. These efforts aim to support regional integration, improve service delivery, and advance the implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement framework.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).