Members of the Regional Committee for Disaster Management in West Africa (GECEAO) convened in Abuja from September 10 to 12, 2024, for mid-term consultations. The meeting aimed to review progress on recommendations from the 15th consultations held in Niamey, Niger, in May 2023, as well as the draft ECOWAS recovery roadmap and guidelines for expert rosters.
Organized by the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, the annual meeting brought together GECEAO members to enhance disaster preparedness and risk reduction capabilities. It served as a platform for sharing experiences, lessons learned, and best practices to bolster regional coordination and strengthen national disaster management agencies.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Head of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Risk Reduction, representing Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, Director of ECOWAS Humanitarian and Social Affairs, emphasized ECOWAS’s commitment to empowering disaster management agencies. He highlighted the importance of unifying national agencies, regional organizations, NGOs, and international partners to coordinate efforts and develop strategies for building community resilience against both natural and human-made disasters.
Mr. Ibrahim noted that while conflict remains a significant driver of displacement, climate change increasingly impacts migration decisions across West Africa. He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to address overlapping challenges of conflict and climate disasters. “The ability of any state to respond effectively to disasters depends on their internal response capabilities and their capacity to deploy these mechanisms during emergencies before external assistance arrives,” he said.
Dr. Daniel Obot, Director of Disaster Risk Reduction at the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), called for stronger collaboration among member states to manage transboundary disasters effectively. He emphasized coordinated efforts and harmonization of emergency response strategies. “The disaster management cycle is interconnected, and sustainable development cannot be achieved without resilience-building measures. The strategies reviewed during this meeting must be implemented across member states to see real progress,” Dr. Daniel stated.
Mrs. Charlotte N. Norman from Ghana's Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction department expressed concern over increasing extreme disasters in the subregion. Representing Honorable Nana Agyemang Prempeh from NADMO was Mr. Frank Kwesi Nansam-Aggrey who outlined steps Ghana has taken to reduce disaster risks such as establishing an Emergency Disaster Fund and purchasing Drought Risk Sovereign Insurance for small-scale farmers.
Mr. Nansam-Aggrey urged participants to engage with the strategies presented during the three-day meeting and identify ways to support local response efforts while stressing the need for increased funding to manage escalating disaster risks: “The vulnerability of our subregion to various hazards is evident in the annual devastation caused by disasters. Without adequate funding, it will be difficult to maintain or enhance resilience.”
The meeting is expected to yield actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening disaster risk management across West Africa.
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