Economist (Donor Funds) at The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), April 2024

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional grouping with 15 Member States in West Africa (three landlocked and one island) with a population of about 300million and an annual economic growth rate of around 6%. The ECOWAS Commission is one of the eight Regional Economic Communities supporting the African Union to coordinate the implementation of continental and regional integration and development programmes in the West African region.
We are currently seeking to employ suitably qualified candidates to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Economist (Donor Funds)
Reference: ECW-FIN-REC/P/006/2017
Location: ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria
Department: Finance
Directorate: Finance
Grade: P3
Supervisor: Principal Accountant
Duration: Two years (with extension subject to “Staff Regulation” of the ECOWAS Commission, satisfactory performance and availability of funds)
Job Objective

Reporting directly to Head of Donor Unit, the Economist (Donor Funds) has responsibility for assisting with the development of financial policies and the execution of these policies relating to the management of Donor funds.
The incumbent shall also be responsible for the recording and reporting on all donor funds in accordance with respective agreements with such donors.

General Description

A major responsibility of this position is liaising with Donors and managing the Donor financial transactions that are required to produce the periodic Donor financial reports.
The Economist will be responsible for generating accurate, timely and complete financial information monthly/quarterly as required by the Financial Regulations and this would include the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Key Performance Indicators Analysis, etc.
In addition, the Economist would spend time on the supervision of the work of his staff as well as providing guidance, and motivating and mentoring, which would be important to the success of this position.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure that all donor funds are recorded and reported on a timely basis in accordance with the extant donor agreements;
Supervise the production of quarterly donor financial statements including income and expenditure statements, balance sheet, analysis of advances and related reports on a timely basis;
Implement financial policies and plans and ensures that financial management practice is in operation and adequate for the management of donor funds in the custody of the Commission;
Recommend for approval, financial controls, which would include approvals and authorization and a review of all financial processes and financial systems;
Recommends for approval refinements to managerial and accounting aspects of the reporting process (including electronic data processing) to maximize the benefits of management information obtainable from the financial database;
Manage and ensure that all financial activities leading to the final accounts are carried out in a proper fashion including the preparation of Bank reconciliation statements and management of Donor Assets including Recording and Management of Advances and Accounts Payable and Receivables;
Monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and projects;
Participate in the mobilisation of resources and partner to support ECOWAS integration Agenda;
Liaise with project implementers/owners and sponsors
Plan, integrate and coordinate the work of staff responsible for the work leading to the reporting on donor funds and monitor objectives of reporting improvements.
Assist to develop, implement, modify, and document record keeping and accounting systems, making use of current computer technology.
Prepare, examine, or analyse accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
Represent the Finance Department at inter-departmental and inter-institutional meetings during the absence of the Director of Finance or as and when delegated.
Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

At least a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (or equivalent academic qualification) with additional 5 years of relevant record of professional experience. Basic accounting knowledge will be an advantage.
A higher degree will reduce the number of years of experience to three (3);
Excellent verbal and written communication skills (fluent) in one of the official languages of the ECOWAS Community (English, French and Portuguese). Good working knowledge of a second Community language will be an added advantage.
Excellent knowledge of financial accounting principles and concepts including the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Experience with EU Pillar Assessment on Internal Control, Accounting, Procurement and Grants at both the Institution and programme and project levels will be an added advantage.
Good knowledge of general aspects of financial management software and/or of at least one ERP software. Previous specific experience with SAP will be an asset.
Minimum of 2 years of previous work with donor funded projects (EU, WB, USAID, DFID, GIZ, etc.), and good knowledge of Donors’ accounting, disbursement and reporting procedures.
Strong knowledge of Programme and Project Reporting, Financial and Economic Analyses and Financial Control techniques.
Good inter-personal skills and team-working ability necessary to enable effective interaction in performing key financial activities of other team members and supervise their works, including peers.
Strong analytical skills with ability to write high-quality reports.
Ability to set and meet deadlines including strong ability to manage multiple tasks to completion and with set deadlines.
Ability to make recommendations on key financial and managerial decisions.

Language:

Must be fluent in one of the official languages of the Commission; English, French and Portuguese. A working knowledge of another would be an advantage.

Annual Salary
USD 36,901 – USD 44,469.

Interested and qualified candidates should download the “Application Form” below, fill the form and send it as an e-mail attachment along with their CV’s to: [email protected]

Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word Format)

More Information

Job City Abuja

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Before the creation of ECOWAS, the collective territory known as West Africa, from a regional point of view, was made up of an aggregation of states that had emerged from different colonial experiences and administrations which largely defined the boundaries of the 15 states domiciled in the area.

Even though member states of the community, today make use of three different imported official languages (English, French and Portuguese), there are well over a thousand existing local languages including cross-border native tongues such as Ewe, Fulfulde, Hausa, Mandingo, Wolof, Yoruba, Ibo, Ga, etc. that constitute its over 300 million people tucked in a vast land of about 5.1 million square kilometres.

Prior to colonialism, the area played host to many proud empires and kingdoms that spanned centuries some of which included Ghana, Mali Songhai, Wolof, Oyo, Benin and Kanem Bornu.

The region’s cultural, linguistic and ecological diversity presents both opportunities and challenges for the integration process. The longing to combine forces politically and economically has always been recognised as a step forward in the desire to engender co-prosperity in the area.

In this regard, the first effort at integration dates back to 1945 with the creation of CFA franc that brought the francophone countries of the region into a single currency union. Then in 1964, Liberian president William Tubman proposed an economic union for West Africa leading to an agreement which was signed in 1965 by the four states of Cote d’Ivore, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

However, nothing concrete emanated from these until 1972 when Nigerian head of state Gen Yakubu Gowon and his Togolese counterpart Gnassingbe Eyadema toured the region in support of the integration Idea. Thanks to the drafts that emanated from their efforts as they formed the basis for the emergence of the treaty of Lagos in 1975 which birthed ECOWAS. The treaty of Lagos was initially limited to economic policies but emerging political events led to its revision and therewith the expansion of scope and powers in 1993.

ECOWAS is meant to foster interstate economic and political cooperation. History is on its side in this regard. Dating back to pre-colonial times, West Africans have been among the world’s most mobile populations although much of the migration had been intra-regional. About 7.5 million West African migrants (3 percent of the regional population) are living in ECOWAS countries other than their own. The 1.2 million other migrants are dispersed mainly in North America and Europe. Estimated at about 149 million in 2013, women constitute over 50 percent of the region’s population. The cross-border migration of women as traders and business persons places them as potential champions for promoting integration, even though this is a reality that is yet to be fully exploited.

Over the last few years, West Africa’s population witnessed strong growth, increasing from 70 million to nearly 300 million inhabitants between 1950 and 2010. By the end of 2014, it represents nearly 40% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa. According to the projections of the United Nations, the population of West Africa should reach between 550 and 600 million by 2050. It is the youngest region of the world. Also, with about 5 percent of the world’s population, with an area covering over 40 percent of sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa is the most densely populated on the continent.

The diverse socio-cultural dimension of development should be a necessary building block for establishing peace and security in the region. Drawing strength from its past, leaders of the community have been making sacrifices to keep the shape of the political structure of the region. In 1976, Cape Verde, one of the two Lusophone countries in the region joined ECOWAS, and in December 2000 Mauritania withdrew its membership, having a

At all times, ECOWAS chief executive officers presiding either as Executive Secretaries or Presidents, deferred to the supreme organ of the community-the Authority of the Heads of State of Government for guidance. This body is usually headed by a Chairman. There have been 28 such Chairmen between 1978 to 2015.

0 USD Abuja CF 3201 Abc road Contract , 40 hours per week Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional grouping with 15 Member States in West Africa (three landlocked and one island) with a population of about 300million and an annual economic growth rate of around 6%. The ECOWAS Commission is one of the eight Regional Economic Communities supporting the African Union to coordinate the implementation of continental and regional integration and development programmes in the West African region. We are currently seeking to employ suitably qualified candidates to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Economist (Donor Funds) Reference: ECW-FIN-REC/P/006/2017 Location: ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Nigeria Department: Finance Directorate: Finance Grade: P3 Supervisor: Principal Accountant Duration: Two years (with extension subject to “Staff Regulation” of the ECOWAS Commission, satisfactory performance and availability of funds) Job Objective

Reporting directly to Head of Donor Unit, the Economist (Donor Funds) has responsibility for assisting with the development of financial policies and the execution of these policies relating to the management of Donor funds.
The incumbent shall also be responsible for the recording and reporting on all donor funds in accordance with respective agreements with such donors.

General Description

A major responsibility of this position is liaising with Donors and managing the Donor financial transactions that are required to produce the periodic Donor financial reports.
The Economist will be responsible for generating accurate, timely and complete financial information monthly/quarterly as required by the Financial Regulations and this would include the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Key Performance Indicators Analysis, etc.
In addition, the Economist would spend time on the supervision of the work of his staff as well as providing guidance, and motivating and mentoring, which would be important to the success of this position.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure that all donor funds are recorded and reported on a timely basis in accordance with the extant donor agreements;
Supervise the production of quarterly donor financial statements including income and expenditure statements, balance sheet, analysis of advances and related reports on a timely basis;
Implement financial policies and plans and ensures that financial management practice is in operation and adequate for the management of donor funds in the custody of the Commission;
Recommend for approval, financial controls, which would include approvals and authorization and a review of all financial processes and financial systems;
Recommends for approval refinements to managerial and accounting aspects of the reporting process (including electronic data processing) to maximize the benefits of management information obtainable from the financial database;
Manage and ensure that all financial activities leading to the final accounts are carried out in a proper fashion including the preparation of Bank reconciliation statements and management of Donor Assets including Recording and Management of Advances and Accounts Payable and Receivables;
Monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and projects;
Participate in the mobilisation of resources and partner to support ECOWAS integration Agenda;
Liaise with project implementers/owners and sponsors
Plan, integrate and coordinate the work of staff responsible for the work leading to the reporting on donor funds and monitor objectives of reporting improvements.
Assist to develop, implement, modify, and document record keeping and accounting systems, making use of current computer technology.
Prepare, examine, or analyse accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
Represent the Finance Department at inter-departmental and inter-institutional meetings during the absence of the Director of Finance or as and when delegated.
Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

At least a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (or equivalent academic qualification) with additional 5 years of relevant record of professional experience. Basic accounting knowledge will be an advantage.
A higher degree will reduce the number of years of experience to three (3);
Excellent verbal and written communication skills (fluent) in one of the official languages of the ECOWAS Community (English, French and Portuguese). Good working knowledge of a second Community language will be an added advantage.
Excellent knowledge of financial accounting principles and concepts including the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Experience with EU Pillar Assessment on Internal Control, Accounting, Procurement and Grants at both the Institution and programme and project levels will be an added advantage.
Good knowledge of general aspects of financial management software and/or of at least one ERP software. Previous specific experience with SAP will be an asset.
Minimum of 2 years of previous work with donor funded projects (EU, WB, USAID, DFID, GIZ, etc.), and good knowledge of Donors’ accounting, disbursement and reporting procedures.
Strong knowledge of Programme and Project Reporting, Financial and Economic Analyses and Financial Control techniques.
Good inter-personal skills and team-working ability necessary to enable effective interaction in performing key financial activities of other team members and supervise their works, including peers.
Strong analytical skills with ability to write high-quality reports.
Ability to set and meet deadlines including strong ability to manage multiple tasks to completion and with set deadlines.
Ability to make recommendations on key financial and managerial decisions.

Language:

Must be fluent in one of the official languages of the Commission; English, French and Portuguese. A working knowledge of another would be an advantage.

Annual Salary USD 36,901 – USD 44,469.

Interested and qualified candidates should download the “Application Form” below, fill the form and send it as an e-mail attachment along with their CV’s to: [email protected]

Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word Format)

2017-08-29

Economist (Donor Funds) at The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 200 views0 applications

More Information

NGO Jobs in Africa | NGO Jobs

April 2024
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Jan
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30