The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has launched the official video of its components under the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) on Tuesday 21st December 2021.
Funded through a 116-million-euro contribution under the 11th European Development Fund, this programmatic initiative between the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and the European Union with the support of the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union Commission (UEMOA) includes 1 Regional Component and 16 Country Components.
The 7-minute-long video highlights WACOMP’s regional and national objectives, interventions and success stories.
WACOMP aims to improve the performance and growth of selected value chains and to enhance the climate for business at national and regional level through ensuring standard compliance of West African products, offering new green solutions and promoting digital transformation, supporting agribusiness development, employability, productivity and market access for farmers and SMEs, strengthening quality infrastructure and regional trade support institutions, harmonising and mainstreaming quality and industrial policies in West Africa and promoting entrepreneurship, women empowerment and a business-friendly environment in each West African country.
In line with its mandate to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development, UNIDO has been entrusted by the EU as implementing partner for eight project components, of which one regional and seven national, covering The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Cabo Verde and Senegal.
In The Gambia, it is increasing The Gambia’s competitiveness through enhanced quality compliance along the onion value chain by improving the performance, growth and contribution to industry, regional trade and exports of onion and other horticulture value chain.
At the regional level, UNIDO, together with the International Trade Centre and in close cooperation with the ECOWAS Commission, provides technical assistance with a view to strengthening four key regional value chains.
The UNIDO component called the West Africa Competitiveness and Quality Infrastructure Project – WACQIP – focuses on enhancing the quality infrastructure and the business environment in the following sectors: cassava and derivatives, mango, textiles & garments, and information & communication technology.