Accra — Heads of Catastrophe Administration and Civil Protection Businesses from ECOWAS Member States are gathered in Accra, Ghana for the 16th Consultative Meeting of the Regional Committee for Catastrophe Administration in West Africa (GECEAO). The three-day meeting, organized by the ECOWAS Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), goals to overview the regional Recovery Roadmap and Roster, reinforce danger coordination, and toughen resilience-building across the dwelling.
Opening the event on behalf of the Director of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Head of the Catastrophe Risk Administration Unit, underscored the influence of disasters on West African communities over the final 25 years, noting losses exceeding one billion dollars. He highlighted the growing frequency and intensity of disasters pushed by environmental degradation, quick urbanization, and native climate alternate.
“Member States must prioritize humanitarian assistance and invest in resilience-building programs in collaboration with partners to mitigate these challenges,” acknowledged Dr. Ibrahim.
ECOWAS’ 2025 Humanitarian Response Initiative targets reaching over 600,000 individuals by way of applications addressing food security, displacement, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), healthcare, and early restoration enhance. The initiative furthermore emphasizes regional preparedness, emergency response coordination, and the adoption of unique applied sciences to be certain that neatly timed, dignified relief supply.
Speaking on behalf of Hajiya Zubaida Umar, Director Customary, Nigeria’s National Emergency Administration Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Idris Mohammed emphasized the pressing need for cooperation and collaboration for efficient administration of disasters across the dwelling, stating that “West Africa is increasingly vulnerable to floods, droughts, epidemics, and conflicts—events that threaten lives and reverse development gains. Now is the time to strengthen partnerships and build a resilient and united sub-region.” By sharing experiences, skills, and sources, we can form a more resilient dwelling, he added.
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He furthermore shared Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to train danger administration professionals by way of partnerships with six federal universities, offering certificates to postgraduate applications in danger and pattern be taught, geared toward building regional skills.
He further emphasized NEMA’s commitment to working with danger administration businesses of ECOWAS member states to toughen the collective skill to put together for and retort to disasters. We’ve got finished it in the past, and we ready to form on our past achievements, he acknowledged.
Chairman of GECEAO and Director Customary of Ghana’s National Catastrophe Administration Organization (NADMO), Main (Rtd.) Dr. Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, recommended Ghana’s contemporary legislative reforms empowering NADMO and announced the come of a nationwide Catastrophe Risk Financing Approach. He confused out the need for skill building and known as on individuals to spend their skills to inform policy and pressure impactful helpful resource allocation.
“Our collaboration must translate regional hydro-meteorological warnings into tangible preparedness and mitigation actions,” Main Kuyon acknowledged. “Let us integrate danger risk bargain into our nationwide pattern plans for 2025–2026 and work toward GECEAO’s vision of harmonized danger administration in West Africa.”
The consultative meeting serves as a platform for strategic dialogue, information alternate, and regional solidarity, as ECOWAS Member States work together to confront rising danger risks and supply protection to inclined communities across the dwelling.
