The Speaker of Parliament, S.K. Bagbin, has called for urgent and collective action to eliminate all forms of language barriers that have impeded socioeconomic growth within the West African sub-region over the years.

He said that although West Africa has linguistic diversity, which is culturally enriching, it often poses challenges to effective communication and collaboration among member states.

“Language should be a bridge, not a barrier,” he said.

The Speaker made the call when the Heads of the National Boundary Commissions of West Africa, led by Major General Emmanuel Kotia, Commissioner General of the Ghana Boundary Commission, paid a courtesy call on him in Parliament on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

The visit was part of the group’s inaugural meeting of Heads of National Boundary Commissions of West Africa in Accra to establish mechanisms between national and regional actors for better articulation and implementation of border governance strategies within the ECOWAS Region.

The Speaker also highlighted the issue of the unfair presentation of the size of Africa and its various countries, some of which are bigger than Europe. He noted that addressing this issue would project the continent more accurately.

Speaker Bagbin found the meeting of the Heads of National Boundary Commissions of West Africa significant in addressing these challenges and called for broader collaboration and partnership in that regard.

The Speaker assured the Commission of Parliament’s support, particularly in the area of legislation, to ensure the fruitful work of the commission.