The West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) launched a national training and testing workshop for the electronic certificate of origin (E-CO) platform in Abidjan on Monday, May 11, 2026. The workshop aims to accelerate the digitalization of trade procedures and enhance the competitiveness of trade within the community. This three-day session combines expert training, practical simulations, and operational tests to prepare for the platform’s effective deployment.
Participants will experience the entire lifecycle of the electronic certificate of origin, from application submission to transmission and receipt in the destination countries. This system is expected to reduce administrative delays and costs, improve the traceability of trade transactions, and support regional integration within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). On this occasion, IT and technical equipment was handed over to the participating organizations, with support from the Islamic Development Bank Group, to facilitate the operationalization of the platform.
At the opening of the workshop, the WAEMU Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Gustave Diasso, commended the Ivorian authorities for their commitment to modernizing foreign trade, noting that “the digitization of customs and foreign trade procedures and formalities is a solution that positively impacts the costs, processing times, and procedures for the movement of goods.” He explained that this initiative is part of a regional effort to enable national experts to “familiarize themselves with the platform for the production, exchange, and management of electronic certificates of origin.”
The Chairman of the Technical Committee of the African Alliance for Electronic Commerce, Wato Wato Arnold, highlighted the progress made in several member countries of the Union, including Mali, Senegal, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire. He indicated that “more than 1,080 electronic certificates of origin have already been exchanged between Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal,” emphasizing that the digitization of trade documents is a key lever for removing non-tariff barriers and strengthening regional economic integration.
Representing the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Handicrafts, Kalil Konaté, the Director General of Industry, Emmanuel Tra Bi, reiterated that this project aligns with the vision for the structural transformation of the Ivorian economy championed by President Alassane Ouattara and his government. He stressed that “the electronic certificate of origin provides a concrete solution to bureaucratic hurdles, processing delays, and difficulties related to the flow of information,” before noting that trade within the WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) has increased from “780 billion CFA francs in 2002 to nearly 4 trillion CFA francs in 2022.”
This initiative by the WAEMU marks an important step in the modernization of trade procedures in West Africa. By focusing on the digitization of the electronic certificate of origin, member states intend to streamline trade, reduce costs, and sustainably strengthen regional economic integration.
