establishment of three training paths for African personnel: fellowship awards, seminars and workshops, and education at institutions. The program proved highly successful and by 1968 a total of 1,600 professionals had been trained. As a result, many countries were able to Africanise their statistical and demographic services. He also used the commission to promote smaller regional and subregional economic, research, training, and banking organisations. Following the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, Gardiner appealed to the community for cooperation with UNECA in furthering economic growth. Nevertheless, Gardiner's conservative approach and modest outlook for African development ran contrary to the socialist-leaning idealism of the OAU leadership, and the resulting rivalry between UNECA and OAU undermined inter-organisational coordination and the technical capability of the latter for years. In April–May 1967 Gardiner attended the Accra Conference that resulted in the eventual foundation of the Economic Community of West African States. He presented the Articles of Association to the conference for signature and advised that the smaller West African states should attempt to integrate sections of their markets to open themselves up to a wider array of economic activities. Gardiner strongly endorsed the construction of a Lagos–Mombasa Highway, and on 1 July 1971 he established the Trans-African Highway Bureau to oversee the development of a continental road network. He also played a key role in convincing states to sign the African Economic Charter in 1973. Partly due to his efforts to promote regional economic organisations, Ghana mollified its resistance towards West African integration in the 1970s. After being approached by the British Broadcasting Corporation, Gardiner agreed to become the first African to deliver the Reith Lectures. Entitled A World of Peoples, his six broadcasts in 1965 discussed race relations. The following year he published a book under the same name. He also delivered the Gilbert Murray Memorial Lectures in 1969, the J. B. Danquah Memorial Lectures in 1970, and the Aggrey-Fraser-Guggisberg Memorial Lectures in 1972. In 1969 Ghanaian Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia offered him the office of Secretary of the Presidential Commission and Council of State. Gardiner subsequently wrote a letter of resignation to Thant and made preparations to return to Accra. Meanwhile, members of Busia's cabinet led by Foreign Minister Victor Owusu insisted that Gardiner not be given the post, objecting to Busia's ostensible intentions to "groom" him to be the next President of Ghana. Busia relented and