Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, has urged the ECOWAS Parliament to champion the cause of a trans-West African railway.
This, he believes, will boost regional trade and stimulate economic activities, ultimately alleviating poverty.
While addressing the ECOWAS Parliament in Kano-Nigeria on the four-year draft strategic plan of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Buah advocated for a shift from the region’s current development model, which relies heavily on developed economies.
Instead, he proposed the construction of vital infrastructure such as a trans-West African railway to enhance trade.
“The problem is that we are in an economic bondage and that is why this body [ECOWAS] was established to find a way to get us from this economic bondage. So ask if this strategic plan is going to address how it would be cheaper to make a call from Ghana to the USA than to call Togo from Ghana. Thus telecommunication or ICT challenges.
“Is this strategic plan going to address the issue of the strength of our currencies which is really at the mercy of our former colonial masters today? Is it going to address our Energy poverty in the sub-region? Is it looking at our priorities such as Health and Youth Empowerment? So my point here is that our strategic plan must first look at the issues that will first get us out of this economic bondage.”
“Where in this strategic plan can we say that there would be a train that I would be able to take from Ghana to Abuja, do business there, continue to Sierra Leone and get back to Ghana by 6 pm? Is this anything that we are thinking about? I believe that this strategic plan touches on a lot of issues but we should prioritize this. They whole idea is the strategic plan must empower our people to get them out of poverty”, he emphasised.
Mr Buah justified his proposal by stating that the existing development model of the sub-region fosters a system of dependency that negatively impacts all economic indices of the sub-region. He, therefore, called for a bold and innovative strategic plan.
“It is time we take bold steps for sustainable economic transformation and grow our sub-region. This clarion call for action requires a concerted, multifaceted effort to fundamentally transform the region’s economic structures and enhance self-reliance. It’s imperative to invest in physical infrastructure to facilitate intra-regional trade and economic activities to lift our people out of poverty.“, he said.
The ECOWAS Parliament is in the process of debating a 2024 – 2028 DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT.
The Deputy Minority Leader, who is also a member, views this as an opportunity for members to learn from past mistakes and contribute to a plan that can positively impact the fortunes of the ECOWAS.
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital
