The Programmes Director of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Dr. Yakubu Zakaria has said it is very important for West African nations to encourage grassroots participation in decisions taken by their elected leaders. Dr. Zakaria who was briefing journalists at a press conference in Accra Wednesday on its project dubbed Building Capacity of NSAs towards achieving a Customs Union and a Common Market in West Africa said, such grassroots participation will ensure that West Africans hold their leaders in the sub-region accountable for actions taken in their stead. According to him, “poor understanding of policies and mal-adaptation of Non-State Actors (NSAs) to the regional integration processes have resulted in low participation and lack of capacity to hold national governments accountable”. He said ISODEC has therefore received funding to undertake training sessions for Non-State Actors (NSA) in the country to, among others, make information available to these NSAs at the grassroots concerning a Customs Union and Common Market policies and its impact. Dr. Zakaria intimated that “a well designed training and capacity building mechanism on regional integration will be a panacea for enlightenment and also for equipping NSAs and Civil Society in general with regional policies and development strategy”. The project which will be implemented phases will also receive inputs from civil society and other interest groups to ensure its sustenance. Dr. Zakaria further stated that the project will identify what he termed, the huge information and knowledge gaps among the NSAs in relation to free movements of goods and services in the regional integration process and the general apathy among the NSAs in the integration process, adding the project will “empower NSAs to make positive contributions to national policy formulation.” As part of the training sessions, activities such as three capacity building workshops will be organised in the three geographical zones of Ghana whilst a nation-wide media sensitiation campaign will be organised to provide dialogue opportunities among the NSAs. He urged civil society to embrace the project and liaise with ISODEC in creating the needed awareness on the Customs Union and Common Market policies within ECOWAS. He called on the media to assist in ensuring the successful implementation of the project to the benefit of Ghanaians and the entire sub-region. Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana