Liberian Journalist Raymond Zarbay Part Of The Review Body In Senegal
The Meeting of the Working Group for the Review of ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority Draft Communication Plan has begun in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.
The meeting, which commenced Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in the Segalese capital, Darkar, is intended to pull the contributions of West African Media Experts and Practitioners to ensure greater visibility of ERCA’s activities and functions.
Nehemie M’Boke, Executive Director of the Ivorian based Communication Trader BTP, Technology Agro-business, Emmanuel Daudu, Chief Executive Officer of ZENITH Global Media Services & Consultancy and ECOWAS Radio News Director Raymond Kolubah Zarbay, joined the Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority, Dr. Simeon Koffi to conduct the review.
Dr. Simeon Koffi on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission’s President Dr. Omar Allieu Touray and the hierarchy of the Commission, thanked and welcomed the Media practitioners, as well as the Consultant Bakary Kone for their acceptance to undertake the task.
Dr. Koffi explaining through an interpreter, the characteristics of the deliberation over the three-day period through an interpreter said the participants first needed to get an overview of the ECOWAS Special Agency ERCA.
Following his welcome remarks and recognition of the participants and consultants, the ERCA’s Executive Director Dr. Simeon Koffi then went to the specifics of the Darkar gathering of Media practitioners, especially their terms of reference.
Backgrounding and giving the rationale and objectives of the ERCA’s visibility Plan, Dr. Koffi said, the main focus is to ensure that ERCA, one of the Specialized Agencies of the Economic Community of West African States, is visible in a way to compliment the meaningful efforts of the Regional Body.
In 2008, ECOWAS adopted a Regional Competition Policy and, at the same time, established the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) responsible for its implementation. This regional initiative aims to support and promote the free play of competition within the ECOWAS region and the protection of consumers’ economic interests through the implementation of the Community Competition Rules.
Dr. Koffi further said that in order to fully understand this task and other activities of the ERCA, a workable and an effective Media strategy is needed to give a vivid description in a clear and an unambiguous manner, at the same time using other means, especially the new media; noting that there is no other group with the expertise, than the Consultant and the Media Practitioners in Darkar who will brain storm on how to encourage free and fair competition, at the same time bettering the welfare of the West African population.
The Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority pointed out that four main categories are the targets in the implementation of the Agency’s Communications Plan. Among them, he named the National Competition Authorities, that he said are existing in the ECOWAS member States to compliment the ERCA’s efforts. He however said that there are few West African Countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone where this does not exist.
The business community and general public are key areas, Dr. Koffi said are needed to be reached with the appropriate channels. He said these and other actors are factored in the draft communications plan, that needs to be implemented strategically after approval and support.
The review continues tomorrow with the Media Practitioners, discussing with in depth innovation the practical implementation of the plan.