Exploring the potential for skills partnerships on migration in West Africa and Sahel

The Global Skills Partnership for Migration was launched to support skills development and recognition through partnerships between countries, along migration corridors and in selected regions, through knowledge sharing and technical assistance. While most international cooperation activities on the free movement of people focus on highly skilled people, this partnership pays particular attention to low-skilled and semi-skilled migrants. West Africa and the Sahel regions are characterized by the highest incidence of low- and semi-skilled migration on the African continent. In order to...  [+] Show more

The Global Skills Partnership for Migration was launched to support skills development and recognition through partnerships between countries, along migration corridors and in selected regions, through knowledge sharing and technical assistance. While most international cooperation activities on the free movement of people focus on highly skilled people, this partnership pays particular attention to low-skilled and semi-skilled migrants. West Africa and the Sahel regions are characterized by the highest incidence of low- and semi-skilled migration on the African continent. In order to ensure a context-sensitive design for West Africa and a genuine anchoring of the partnership at the national and regional levels, the ILO conducted a subregional study covering several countries - Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.

This report of the study provides relevant background information on existing skills systems and policies, migration flows and patterns, links between training and migration policies, and collaboration on skills anticipation, development and recognition between the selected countries. In addition, it explores potential areas for the establishment of partnerships for the anticipation, development and recognition of the skills of migrant workers and local populations.

Edited excerpts from publication.