As part of the implementation of development support activities and appropriate, relevant, effective

and efficient Quality Infrastructure in West Africa, UNIDO has set up a database on quality and industry in the ECOWAS zone (https://ecoquib.waqsp.org/ ) to facilitate intra-regional and international trade, protect the consumer and the environment, and promote sustainable economic development.

 Thus, the following activities, relating to the establishment of the database, have been completed;

• The development of a concept note;

• The proposal of a framework document for the implementation of the quality and industrial database;

• Validation of the framework document on the quality and industry database by quality experts and industry directors from ECOWAS member states;

• Informing the ministers responsible for quality in the ECOWAS member states;

• The development of a computer application (ECOQUIB) which makes it possible to manage the database;

• The designation of national focal points to ensure the collection and updating of data;

• Collecting and consolidating data relating to quality and the industry and entering it into the ECOQUIB application;

• Training of national focal points on the use of the database through ECOQUIB.

These activities resulted in the ECOQUIB application being put online in order to allow and facilitate access to the database for beneficiaries. ECOQUIB has been identified as a tool for providing data and making decisions, especially in the area of ​​quality.

Furthermore, this database will constitute a reliable data source for the Competitiveness Observatory, which is scheduled to be set up by the end of 2020, within the framework of WACOMP.

It is in this perspective that the updating of the ECOQUIB database has already started, notably through consultations with its national focal points and the recruitment of anICT  expert and a statistics expert who will soon be recruited. The latter will work in collaboration with the focal point of the database at the Department of Statistics of the ECOWAS Commission and the WACQIP expert in charge of the database. This update will concern:

• The development of new functionalities to ensure easier handling of focal points;

• Taking into account  the observations collected after the online publication of the database;

• The integration of new data on the 4 regional value chains (Cassava & derived products, Mango, Textile &garments and Information and Communication Technology - ICT).

This activity will absolutely require the upgrading of the focal points in order to collect and provide additional data to make the database more relevant for beneficiaries.