The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a 15-member regional group mandated to promote economic integration, social cohesion, and political stability across West Africa. As a premier Intergovernmental Organization (IGO), ECOWAS operates through a robust institutional framework, led by the Commission and the Community Parliament, to harmonize policies, foster a "borderless" region, and uphold democratic governance for over 400 million citizens. 

Under the guidance and supervision of the Executive Director, the Principal Program Officer on Veterinary Governance will ensure the formulation and implementation of regional and international regulations for good veterinary governance on animal disease control, improved veterinary education, and research for animal resources development that will support the effective and efficient delivery of veterinary services to support food security and nutrition, livelihoods, wealth creation and poverty reduction through the efficient management of animal health in the ECOWAS region in line with the goal of the ECOWAP/CAADP.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support ECOWAS Member States to strengthen veterinary governance.
• Formulate and ensure implementation of regional and international veterinary regulations and guidelines.
• Support increased investments in national and regional veterinary governance infrastructure to close the gaps in the OIE Gap Analysis in the ECOWAS region.
• Formulate, align and implement regional and international veterinary education and training guidelines in the ECOWAS region.
• Support capacity building and veterinary continuing education and particularly explore online education and training delivery. 
• Formulate and implement regional and international regulatory frameworks and guidelines on veterinary information management and risk management to populations.
• Facilitate networking with veterinary regulatory agencies in ECOWAS Member States and other relevant regional and international partners.
• Facilitate networking with regional and international academic and scientific community and support research for development in the animal health sector.
• Facilitate regular regional publications on veterinary regulation, veterinary education and veterinary research issues.
• Support the establishment and/or strengthening of regional socio-economic and risk communication networks.
• Support the strengthening of regional animal regulatory network.
• Ensure the alignment of activities with the implementation of ECOWAP/CAADP and related projects.
• Ensure appropriate project planning, formulation and implementation, as well as funding requirements of major multilateral and bilateral funding partners.
• Undertake other duties that may be assigned by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources.

• Support ECOWAS Member States to strengthen veterinary governance.
• Formulate and ensure implementation of regional and international veterinary regulations and guidelines.
• Support increased investments in national and regional veterinary governance infrastructure to close the gaps in the OIE Gap Analysis in the ECOWAS region.
• Formulate, align and implement regional and international veterinary education and training guidelines in the ECOWAS region.
• Support capacity building and veterinary continuing education and particularly explore online education and training delivery. 
• Formulate and implement regional and international regulatory frameworks and guidelines on veterinary information management and risk management to populations.
• Facilitate networking with veterinary regulatory agencies in ECOWAS Member States and other relevant regional and international partners.
• Facilitate networking with regional and international academic and scientific community and support research for development in the animal health sector.
• Facilitate regular regional publications on veterinary regulation, veterinary education and veterinary research issues.
• Support the establishment and/or strengthening of regional socio-economic and risk communication networks.
• Support the strengthening of regional animal regulatory network.
• Ensure the alignment of activities with the implementation of ECOWAP/CAADP and related projects.
• Ensure appropriate project planning, formulation and implementation, as well as funding requirements of major multilateral and bilateral funding partners.
• Undertake other duties that may be assigned by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources.