ECOWAS meet to discuss how to improve Telecoms, ICT

The department of Telecommunications and Information Technologies, TIT, of the commission of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, commenced a three day retreat on March 4, 2019 in Goshen city, Nigeria in order to enhance and modernise the telecommunications, Information and Communication technology, ICT, and postal sectors in the region by improving the operational efficiency of the department. Speaking during the retreat, Zouli Bonkoungou, the commissioner for Telecommunications and Information Technologies, stated that the retreat will accomplish this by acquainting staff of the department with the organisation’s new organogram and bring them up to speed with its requirements and the expectations in their new roles.

The commissioner highlighted that the retreat was necessary as “it is a modern management tool used to improve the efficiency of organisations.” Under the new organogram the two Directorates that make the Department formerly called the Community Computer Centre, CCC, and Telecommunications will now be known as the Information and Technology Services, ITS, and the Digital Economy and Posts Directorates respectively. Addressing the participants, Osei Tutu, the directors of ITS, and Digital Economy and Posts, Raphael Koffi delivered detailed presentations on the structure, objectives and missions of their Directorates.

Also speaking at the retreat, Yaouza Ouro Sama, the acting director for Human Resources, briefed the members of the department of TIT on human resources issues regarding their careers as brought about by the implementation of the institutional reform of organisation. Furthermore the retreat serves as an opportunity to review the department’s main achievements and challenges in 2018 and also to familiarise its staff with its 2019 work programme, method of operation and the strategy for the implementation of its approved budget. Upon its conclusion, a roadmap will be developed to address issues that emerged from the retreat. The roadmap will contain timelines, assigned responsibilities as well as a monitoring and evaluation plan for the execution of tasks and the progress of programmes of the department.