ECOWAS: NAE Seeks Cooperation for Improved Education 

By Funmi Ogundare

The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) is seeking the cooperation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in a partnership designed to uplift the standard of education across all levels within the West Africa sub-region.

The partnership which aims to promote cooperation, exchanges and similar supports among ECOWAS member states through its department of Education, Science and Culture, rides on existing treaties like the ECOWAS Protocol A/P3/1/03, Article 5, 6 and 7 which relates to education and training at the basic, intermediate and higher levels, mindful of the strategic role of access of the community’s citizens to quality education in the development of the region.

The President of the academy, Professor Elizabeth Eke said the cooperation between it and the commission was primed on the areas of competence, priority and the availability of required resources on all sides to ensure that the standard of education in West Africa is rated among the best in the world.

She said it would concentrate on activities relating to education, training, research and community support service under key thematic areas, which  include, higher education and training; youth, gender development and empowerment; language immersion, information and experience sharing, regional integration, academic mobility as well as other related activities.

“This partnership makes it easy for us at NAE to facilitate exchange of information and documents of common interest that will ultimately lead to a rise in the standard of education across West Africa,” the president said.

Meanwhile, education stakeholders across the West African sub-region will in October converge on FCT, Abuja, for the inaugural edition of the West Africa education conference. 

The event scheduled to hold on October 8 to 12,  would be the first time West African countries will be coming together under one roof to discuss common issues as they affect the standard of education within the sub-region.º