• ECOWAS launched the second phase of PAMCIT to expand training in translation and conference interpreting.

• The global market for professional language services is expected to grow 4.7% between 2023 and 2032.

• Nearly 99% of UN job postings required English between 2020 and 2023, underscoring major linguistic imbalances.

ECOWAS launched on Friday, 14 November, the second phase of the Pan-African Consortium for Master’s Degrees in Translation and Conference Interpreting (PAMCIT). The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to training experts in international languages. ECOWAS awarded scholarships to students at Gaston Berger University in Senegal and provided technical support to the University of Lomé in Togo to harmonise programmes and improve instructor mobility.

This initiative aligns with a broader continental push. Universities and regional organisations have multiplied advanced programmes in multilingual diplomacy, including interpretation master’s degrees at the University of Nairobi and African Union scholarships for multilingual diplomacy. These efforts aim to build a pool of specialists capable of meeting the needs of international organisations and a labour market increasingly oriented toward linguistic expertise.

Translators and Interpreters as Regional Integration Anchors

International languages shape a significant share of diplomatic, economic and institutional exchanges in Africa. Specially trained translators and interpreters ensure the smooth functioning of international organisations by enabling communication in multilingual environments.

The job market increasingly values these skills. Africa, with its regional blocs and multinational actors, represents a rapidly expanding market. The “Global Language Services Market Report 2024” forecasts 4.7% global growth in professional interpretation and translation services between 2023 and 2032. This trend has prompted African institutions to invest in training to avoid relying exclusively on foreign expertise.

PAMCIT II embodies this strategic orientation. ECOWAS seeks to harmonise curricula and provide targeted scholarships to develop a workforce capable of translating and interpreting diplomatic meetings, international conferences and official documents while supporting professional mobility across the continent.

Multilingualism and Skilled Employment: A Growing Market

Mastery of international languages grants access to highly skilled jobs in diplomacy, regional governance, NGOs, financial institutions, multinational companies and digital technologies. Shared service centres and international telework platforms regularly recruit multilingual translators and interpreters for demanding assignments.

The “Multilingualism – Report of the Secretary-General,” published by the United Nations in 2024, notes that language requirements in job postings serve as a key indicator for measuring the state of multilingualism within the Secretariat. The report shows persistent gaps between working languages and official languages. Between 2020 and 2023, almost 99% of UN job announcements required English, while only 2.61% of postings accepted either English or French, compared with 1.13% in 2019.

The report also highlights wide variation in the requirement for host-country official languages. Several entities adjusted their criteria to local contexts. For instance, 47% of postings from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean during the study period required Spanish, reflecting operational realities in the region.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum