The Former Executive Director of the National Investment Commission (NIC), George Wisner II, has been formally invited by the ECOWAS Parliament to present a paper and participate in two high-level panel discussions during the sitting of a Special Committee of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament.
The session will convene from June 16–20, 2025, at the RLJ Kendeja Resort & Villas, near Roberts International Airport, Paynesville, Liberia.
Mr. Wisner, who previously served as Assistant Foreign Minister for Afro-Asian Affairs during the first administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has accepted the invitation.
He emphasized the urgency of collective action, stating that “it is incumbent upon all state and non-state actors, civil society, and development partners to address the region’s socio-economic challenges in order to avert threats of instability and insecurity.”
The ECOWAS Parliament’s Special Committee session is expected to produce actionable recommendations to strengthen the ECOWAS Investment Policy as a tool for sustainable development and inclusive growth across the sub-region.
Held under the theme “Assessing the Effectiveness of the ECOWAS Investment Policy as an Instrument for Addressing the Rising Levels of Unemployment in the Sub-Region,” the session aims to evaluate the region’s investment strategies and their impact on job creation amid growing socio-economic challenges.
In a letter signed by the Acting Secretary General of the ECOWAS Parliament, K. Bertin Some, Mr. Wisner was invited to deliver a keynote address on “Investment Climate in the ECOWAS Sub-Region – Analyzing Factors that Influence Investment, Including Regulatory Frameworks, Ease of Doing Business, and Market Conditions.”
Mr. Wisner, who currently serves as Adjunct Lecturer of International Development at the Graduate School of the African Methodist Episcopal University, will also contribute to two panel discussions:“Link Between Investment and Employment Creation” – Assessing how investment drives job opportunities and economic growth in the ECOWAS region.“Role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Addressing Unemployment” – Exploring how ECOWAS Investment Policies support indigenous entrepreneurs.
Other speakers expected at the session include: Massandje TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs & Agriculture, ECOWAS Commission; Aisha RIMI, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission; and Director of Private Sector Operations, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
The Special Committee session comes at a critical time, as the ECOWAS region grapples with alarming unemployment rates, particularly among youth.
According to the 2023 West Africa Socioeconomic Profile by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the unemployment rate in Africa stands at 30.43%, with West Africa at 24.95%, significantly higher than the global average of 5.8%.
The World Bank has also flagged youth unemployment in West Africa as among the highest globally, contributing to increased irregular migration in search of better opportunities.
