ECOWAS to roll out second phase of ESFMD grant

The ECOWAS Commission is rolling out the second phase of a funding scheme that supports civil society organisations (CSOs) in member states to carry out projects that promote migration and development.

The funding mechanism, being implemented under the ECOWAS/Spain Fund for Migration and Development (ESFMD), was established in 2009 to contribute to poverty reduction in the ECOWAS region through effective, sustainable regional integration and capacity building interventions.

A statement by ECOWAS said the Commission had started engaging CSOs in member States to sensitise them about the project which involved grant making processes, and called for grant proposals.

The statement explained that in order to ensure that Ghanaian CSOs benefited from the funding and carried out migration and development-related projects prioritized under ESFMD, the ECOWAS Commission would hold an information session for Ghanaian CSOs on August 27 at Erata Hotel in Accra.

According to the statement, prospective participants include Non-governmental organizations, Academic Institutions and Research Centres, Diaspora Associations, Associations of Migrants and Regional Migration Networks.

The statement said the workshop would serve as a platform to sensitize participants on priority areas for funding as well as the criteria for accessing grants.

In addition to the fund, various amounts of money had been earmarked for governments of ECOWAS member states for strengthening institutional capacity in migration management, the statement said.

The first phase of the project was rolled out in 2011, with as many as 24 CSOs from member states receiving grants for various projects aimed at promoting migration and development.

Source: GNA