The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has taken a significant step toward strengthening transparency, innovation and digital governance in West Africa by advancing efforts to establish a harmonised regional framework for open data.

Through its Directorate of Digital Economy and Post, the Commission convened a Validation Workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, on the Regional Open Data Legal Framework. The meeting brought together representatives of ECOWAS Member States and digital governance experts to review and refine the proposed regional framework for the publication, access and reuse of public sector data.

The two-day workshop provided a platform for Member States to collectively examine and validate the draft legal framework designed to guide open data governance across the region. The initiative reflects the growing recognition that open data plays a pivotal role in strengthening transparency, supporting digital transformation and fostering economic innovation.

Opening the workshop, Mrs. Folake Olagunju, Director of Digital Economy and Post at the ECOWAS Commission, emphasised the importance of strengthening governance mechanisms for public sector data. She noted that improving access to government-generated data has the potential to stimulate innovation, promote transparency and enable businesses, researchers and civil society organisations to develop solutions addressing key socio-economic challenges across West Africa.

Chairing the session, Ing. Abdulai Sankoh (PhD), Director of Technology at Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, underscored the importance of developing a regional framework that enables governments to fully harness the value of public sector data. He highlighted that a coordinated approach to data governance would support evidence-based policymaking, enhance service delivery and strengthen innovation ecosystems within ECOWAS Member States.

During the workshop, participants from Member States reviewed the draft legal framework article by article with the objective of consolidating national inputs and reaching consensus on a harmonised regional framework. The proposed directive promotes the principle of open-by-default public sector data while ensuring appropriate safeguards for privacy, security, intellectual property and commercially sensitive information. Discussions also focused on enhancing interoperability between national data systems and encouraging the publication of high-value datasets in accessible formats that support responsible reuse, innovation and digital entrepreneurship.

Through this initiative, the ECOWAS Commission aims to establish a coherent regional open data ecosystem capable of driving digital transformation, strengthening regional integration and promoting knowledge-based economic growth. By facilitating responsible access to public sector information, the future legal instrument is expected to empower entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and citizens to develop digital solutions that improve public service delivery and strengthen institutional accountability across West Africa.