ECOWAS–Mauritania Seal Landmark Deal to Harmonise Data Across West and Central Africa.
By Raymond Enoch.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has strategically wrapped up a outstanding agreement with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania that is set to reshape how data is generated, shared and used across West and Central Africa, Paradigm News International can exclusively report.
In Nouakchott, on 14 November 2025, the ECOWAS Commission concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mauritania aimed at strengthening the harmonisation and improvement of statistics across the sub-regions. Although the formal signing ceremony will take place at a later date yet to be announced, diplomatic and technical work on the deal is already complete.
The agreement would be implemented under the World Bank–funded Harmonising and Improving Statistics in West and Central Africa (HISWACA) project. Through this framework, Mauritania will be fully integrated into ongoing regional efforts to standardise statistical systems, methodologies and indicators, ensuring that data coming out of West and Central Africa is more reliable, comparable and policy-relevant.
Under the MoU, Mauritania will benefit from a comprehensive package of technical assistance, capacity-building programmes and structured knowledge-sharing platforms with ECOWAS member states. These measures are expected to strengthen national statistical institutions, improve data collection tools and promote modern techniques for analysing socio-economic trends.
According to officials familiar with the process, the new partnership is designed to support evidence-based decision-making on issues ranging from food security and agriculture to trade, public finance, demographics and climate resilience. By aligning Mauritania’s statistical systems with regional standards, ECOWAS and its partners hope to close long-standing data gaps that have often hindered planning, investment and regional integration.
While in Nouakchott to conclude the MoU, Dr. Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, held a series of high-level consultations with Mauritanian authorities and development partners to pave the way for smooth implementation.
Dr. Sylla met with the National Statistical Office (ANSADE), the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development, as well as key international partners including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the European Union Delegation, and the World Bank. The discussions focused on aligning national and regional priorities, ensuring sustainable financing for statistical reforms, and fast-tracking preparatory activities ahead of the official signing ceremony.
Diplomatic sources say the Nouakchott mission helped to consolidate consensus around a shared vision: a region where governments, development partners and the private sector rely on a common, credible statistical base to drive policies and investments.
The forthcoming signing event, expected to gather senior ECOWAS officials, Mauritanian authorities and international partners, will formally launch Mauritania’s participation in HISWACA and mark a new phase in regional cooperation on statistics.
For ECOWAS, the MoU with Mauritania reinforces its broader agenda of deepening regional integration through robust, harmonised data systems—a critical foundation for achieving sustainable development and shared prosperity across West and Central Africa.
