West Africa: Countries to discuss Nepad implementation

West African leaders and World Bank officials will meet this week in Accra to discuss the challenges of regional integration and implementing the continent's home-grown economic initiative, Nepad, in the region, officials said Wednesday. The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) said in a statement here the two-day meeting in the Ghanaian capital will take place on March 19 and 20. "The Ecowas leaders will give their views on issues in their areas of responsibility within the Nepad (New Partnership for African Development) framework. They will identify the sources and impact of conflict in west Africa, and state the needs of the sub-region in terms of infrastructure," it said.