ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) West Africa sub-region head, Bakary Dosso, on Friday revealed ECA's readiness to support the region to harness demographic dividend.
ECA's Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, which is presently organizing experts group meeting to review and validate the study on the implementation of the Centre of Excellence in Demographic Dynamics for Development in West Africa, also revealed its aspirations to become the leading think tank in demographic dynamics for development in West Africa.
"This choice is based on the specificity of demographic dynamics in West Africa," Dosso said, adding that the sub-region accounts for 30 percent of the continent's population, and plays host to Nigeria, which is the most populated country in Africa.
"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," he added.
According to the ECA, the experts' group meeting to review and validate the study on the implementation of the Centre in the sub-region aims to facilitate the operationalization of the ECA's area of specialization as a think tank in demographic dynamics for the region's development.
Experts and policymakers, who are participating in the ECA-led meeting, are expected to contribute and validate the diagnosis establishing the link between demographic dynamics and development in Africa in general and West Africa in particular, the ECA said in a statement on Friday.
It is also expected to enable the ECA to define the strategic direction, develop the Centre's 2019-2022 Business Plan, organizational chart, resources, funding and communication strategy, it noted.
