5 October 2017, Geneva, Switzerland – The long-standing collaboration between the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) has been further strengthened with the signing of an agreement to jointly conduct Diploma Courses on finance and debt-related topics for the WAIFEM-member countries in West Africa and beyond.

 

Over the next several months, the partnership aims to build-upon the lessons-learned from previous joint courses and to leverage the comparative advantage of both institutions by transforming WAIFEM research materials and content-related expertise into online learning products and services.

 

The UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, Mr. Nikhil Seth, warmly welcomed the Director General of WAIFEM, Professor Akpan Ekpo, and the Director of WAIFEM’s Debt Management Department, Mr Baba Musa during the signing ceremony in Geneva. Mr Seth thanked them for WAIFEM’s continued trust and reiterated UNITAR’s sustained support in the joint initiative. 
 
Nearly 20 years of successful collaboration.

 

During the meeting in Geneva, Professor Ekpo presented to Mr Seth a Plaque of Appreciation to UNITAR on the occasion of WAIFEM’s 20th Anniversary. The plaque highlights the importance UNITAR’s technical support to WAIFEM over the past nearly 20 years. Professor Ekpo and Mr Seth expressed their confidence to the strong partnership and recognized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to regional training. They also expressed the need to further share expertise and to continue to leverage the use of information and communication technologies to deliver training.

 

WAIFEM was established in 1996 by the central banks of the five Anglophone West African countries, namely, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone and aims to develop on a sustainable basis, competencies in the fields of macroeconomic, debt and financial sector management among the staff of central banks, ministries of finance and economic planning, as well as other public sector and private institutions.

 

WAIFEM and UNITAR’s Public Finance and Trade Programme have been actively working together since 1998 on capacity development activities in West Africa via face-to-face training. From 2007, the partnership introduced online training in order to achieve greater outreach and cost-effectiveness. Over the past 19 years, WAIFEM and UNITAR have successfully trained over 600 beneficiaries from the WAIFEM-member states.

 

 

In May 2016, a joint diploma course on Public Debt Management which was successfully completed by 42 participants achieved excellent overall results based on the post course survey with 100 % satisfaction, 100% usefulness, and that 97% of the participants would recommend the course to their colleague.  The participants also fully agree that the course increased awareness on fostering good practice and exchange of ideas using innovative learning methodologies.

 

The effectiveness of the course organization and delivery got equally strong results including methodology (98%), mentoring (92%), assessment activities (100%), learning tools (98%), course interaction (98%), course organization (100%), and achievement of the learning objectives (94%).

 

Participants noted that “they were impressed how WAIFEM and UNITAR are harnessing the power of ICT and allow the participants to undertake diploma courses within the comfort of their offices and living rooms”. Similarly, other participants praised “this 21st century approach to training by bringing people together on a programme without physically moving them with full access to quality content and mentoring”.

 

Similar to previous training activities delivered online, the participants value the easy access to online mentoring and solid content that relates directly to national and regional settings. Both UNITAR and WAIFEM are keen to continue to leverage the use of information and communication technologies to deliver training as it allows for the delivery of up-to-date and relevant training modules to the beneficiaries and it enables the organizers to quantify the achievement of the learning objectives.

 

Participants who interested to know more about the joint WAIFEM/UNITAR Diploma Courses may send an email to waifem@unitar.org. UNITAR will send free additional information as and when the events take place. Officials from Ministries of Finance, Economic Planning, and Central Banks of the WAIFEM member-countries (The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone) are encouraged to participate.

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Related links
For more information about WAIFEM, please visit http://www.waifem-cbp.org
For more information about UNITAR’s Public Finance and Trade Programme, please visit http://www.unitar.org/pft/

 

 

Photos
1. Strengthening the long standing and successful collaboration between UNITAR and WAIFEM: (left) Mr. Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Director of UNITAR; and Professor Akpan Ekpo, Director General of WAIFEM.
2. Presenting the Plaque of Appreciation to UNITAR: (left to right) Mr. Baba Musa, Director of Debt Management Department at WAIFEM; Professor Akpan Ekpo, Director General of WAIFEM; and Mr. Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Director of UNITAR.
3. WAIFEM and UNITAR representatives: (left to right) Mr. Baba Musa, Director of Debt Management Department at WAIFEM; Professor Akpan Ekpo, Director General of WAIFEM; Mr. Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Director of UNITAR; and Mr. Babar Kamal, Manager of the Public Finance and Trade Programme at UNITAR