The event being organized by West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) in which over sixty thousand officials from central banks,  Ministries of  Finance and Economic Development, nation parliaments, other public and private sector agencies have benefitted from the institutes program since its inception.

Director General, WAIFEM Prof. Akpan Ekpo said the primary targets of this particular program are the middle or senior and executive level officials of the central banks and economic ministries and agencies of constituent member countries that are charged with the responsibility of implementing economic policy formulated.

He added “in pursuit of our mandate and to ensure high standards in our programmes, we collaborate with relevant global, regional and national capacity building organizations with a view to promoting the adoption of contemporary best practices in the field of macroeconomic, debt and financial sector management.”

Representing the Bank of Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Lamin stated that the expectations of executive assistants have changed over the years and that their roles and responsibilities in any institutions are pivotal to the existence of the institution they find themselves.

Ibrahim Lamin further mentioned that a greater professionalism has been introduced into the work of executive and personal assistants and those executive assistants may set up and oversee administrative policies and procedures for officials.

Participants from other countries in the sub-region spoke on the benefits of such training for their different institutions represented.

WAIFEM was established in July 1996 by the central banks of The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, to build sustainable capacity for macroeconomic, debt and financial sector management in the constituent member countries.