The ECOWAS Commission through its Directorate of Free Movement of Persons and Migration, organized a Regional Workshop on the Assessment and Harmonisation of Border and Immigration Training Standards in Member States in Praia, Republic of Cabo Verde, from 24 to 26 March 2026.
The workshop aimed to assess existing immigration training systems across Member States, evaluate their alignment with ECOWAS frameworks, identify gaps and inconsistencies, and define priority actions toward harmonizing and strengthening training standards across the region.
In attendance were representatives from the Training Academies from all ECOWAS Member States as well as representatives from Specialized Training Academies, officials from the ECOWAS Directorate of Free Movement of Persons, Migration, and Tourism, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
In his welcome address, the representative from the host country, Cabo Verde, Mr. Manuel Nascimento, Director, Migration Services and Border, welcomed participants to Praia and encouraged active engagement for productive discussions.
On behalf of His Excellency Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, and the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Dr. Kalilou Sylla, the Director, Free Movement of Persons, Migration and Tourism; Mr. Albert Siaw-Boateng thanked the Government and people of the Republic of Cabo Verde for hosting the workshop, as well as IOM and ICMPD for supporting its organization. He recalled the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment as a key regional instrument underpinning mobility within the Community, and underscored the importance of harmonizing training standards and procedures across Member States. He noted uneven implementation amongst Member States, citing limited progress in the implementation and acceptance of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) as a key challenge.
