Abuja To Host ECOVISA Experts Meeting Next Tuesday
Princess-Ekwi Ajide (ABS Abuja Bureau Chief)
The ECOWAS Commission is to convene an Experts‘ Meeting on the implementation of ECOVISA from October 11-13, 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The meeting aimed at fulfilling the mandate of the ECOVISA Task Force, is also an an avenue for the presentation of report and study recommendations for validation by Member States’ Experts.
The meeting will also discuss other emerging issues related to the implementation of ECOVISA such as the validation of the terms of reference for the recruitment of competent local service providers to developing the technology to be used for ECOVISA.
The recommendations from the Expert’s Meeting will be taken forward for adoption at the highest level.
The 3-day meeting is expected to bring together experts in charge of issuance of visas, experts in charge of control of visas at entry points as well as participants from the ECOWAS Commission and GIZ-AUBP.
For reference, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government mandated the ECOWAS Commission to develop the modalities for the smooth implementation of the ECOVISA for Migrants of third countries.
In realization of the mandate, the ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with GIZ-AUBP launched a study on the modalities for harmonization of Visa procedures and process in the ECOWAS region.
They set up the ECOVISA Task Force and series of Experts‘ meetings were held with Experts from Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Senegal in April, 2022 to examine the findings of the study.
The upcoming Experts‘ meeting is therefore, an avenue to ensure the final validation to pave the way for the implementation of the ECOVISA.
