Senator Bassey Advocates For ECOWAS-Wide Participatory Budgeting System

Senator Bassey Advocates For ECOWAS-Wide Participatory Budgeting System

Senator Aniekan Bassey of Akwa Ibom North-East has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament to create a participatory budgeting framework to enhance regional integration, good governance, and effective monitoring…… CONTINUE READING

In a statement released to DAILY POST on Monday, Bassey made this appeal during a week-long meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The meeting, which focused on “Community Budgeting Formulation and Monitoring,” was organized by the Joint Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget, Public Accounts, and Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research.

Bassey, who serves on the ECOWAS Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, proposed the development of a centralized digital platform. This platform would make all budgetary documents—such as draft budgets, financial reports, and audit results—publicly accessible and track the implementation of budget allocations and project outcomes.

He also advocated for a standardized data collection and reporting framework for ECOWAS institutions and member states. Additionally, Bassey recommended regular consultations with civil society organizations (CSOs) and private sector representatives during the budget formulation process.

Emphasizing the need for a results-based management (RBM) approach, Bassey called for clear performance indicators and outcomes to be established from the outset. He also stressed the importance of institutional reforms within ECOWAS to ensure greater independence and impartiality in the budgetary process.

Bassey suggested that the ECOWAS Parliament’s role in the budgetary process should be strengthened, including the possibility of influencing the final approval of the budget. He proposed amendments to the Supplementary Act to enhance parliamentary oversight of executive actions.

Furthermore, Bassey highlighted the need for budgetary provisions that support regional integration initiatives, such as cross-border infrastructure projects, trade policy harmonization, and regional security cooperation. He called for strengthening the legislative power of the ECOWAS Parliament, enhancing transparency and accountability, encouraging capacity building and technical support, and promoting equitable resource allocation.

In closing, Bassey thanked Benjamin Kalu, the presiding Chairman of the Joint Committee, for his advocacy on amending the Supplementary Act and pushing for a shift in the region’s budgeting policies to enhance parliamentary autonomy and powers.

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