Identification Study of the "Support Programme for Competitiveness in West Africa"

The objective of this project was to identify support measures that the EU could provide under the Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) of the 11th EDF in West Africa with the aim of strengthening the region's economic competitiveness. With a strong focus on private sector competitiveness and the region's manufacturing, processing and export capacities, the identified programme supports the development of value chains identified as priorities at the regional level (ECOWAS industrial strategy) and by each national strategy. More specifically, the project was to test the feasibility and define the broad outline of the EU-funded competitiveness support programme under the 11th EDF RIP for West Africa as well as: Present an assessment of the achievements of the West African Common Industrial Policy, particularly in terms of achievements in the areas of SME upgrading; Identify expectations at regional and national levels regarding competitiveness within the framework of the revised industrial strategy and private sector development strategy; Deepen and finalize the identification of support measures for value chains identified as priorities by the ECOWAS industrial strategy in pilot countries; Identify and analyze priority weaknesses that the future programme must address.