The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has become a member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), joining efforts to address climate change and disaster risks in West Africa. The membership is intended to support ECOWAS’s objectives on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable infrastructure.
CDRI brings together national governments, United Nations agencies, development banks, and other stakeholders to promote infrastructure systems that can withstand disasters and environmental challenges. This move aligns with ECOWAS’s work to harmonize policies among its member states in areas such as trade, transport, agriculture, and social development in order to improve living standards and regional stability. More details about these initiatives can be found on the official ECOWAS website: https://www.ecowas.int/category/news/
A ceremony marking this partnership took place on February 17 at the High Commission of India in Abuja, Nigeria. Attendees included India’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr. Abhishek Singh; ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs Professor Fatou Sow Sarr; Nigeria’s Minister for Housing and Urban Development H.E. Ahmed Dangiwa (represented); National Emergency Management Agency Director-General Mrs. Zubaida Umar; CDRI representatives; ambassadors from ECOWAS countries; and diplomatic partners.
In his remarks, India’s High Commissioner Shri Abhishek Singh stated: “when infrastructure systems fail, the impact extends far beyond immediate physical damage. Essential services are disrupted, livelihoods are undermined, hard-earned development gains are reversed, and vulnerable communities bear a disproportionate burden. For many countries, the economic strain of rebuilding after disasters diverts precious resources away from long-term development priorities“.
Professor Fatou Sow Sarr thanked India for supporting CDRI and described joining the coalition as an important step for strengthening regional resilience.
She emphasized risks facing West Africa such as floods, droughts, coastal erosion, epidemics, and weak infrastructure systems. She also noted the importance of joint investments in resilient infrastructure across member states—a goal supported by projects like UNDP’s Sweden-funded Sahel Resilience Project.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to promoting infrastructure resilience as key to reducing disaster risk and adapting to climate change.
She pointed out that frequent hazards—including floods and extreme weather—make it necessary for West Africa to invest proactively in robust infrastructure systems while strengthening technical cooperation among partners.
The Director General of CDRI commented: “We are honored to have ECOWAS Commission as a Member of the Coalition. This partnership advances our shared commitment to making infrastructure resilient to growing climate risks. We aim to work towards ensuring that critical infrastructure systems withstand extreme weather events and safeguard development gains and livelihoods of people across West Africa”.
During the event CDRI presented its strategic roadmap along with programs focused on resilient infrastructure both within Africa generally—and specifically ongoing collaborations within Ghana—demonstrating early achievements in partnership with ECOWAS countries.
A welcome letter was formally presented by CDRI representatives during the ceremony as a symbol of formalizing this new collaboration toward advancing disaster-resilient infrastructure throughout West Africa.
ECOWAS is led by a president who works with commissioners covering several sectors relevant for policy harmonization among its 12 member states—with ambitions reaching across wider regions—to create unified frameworks impacting areas such as economic integration, legal coordination (including common tariffs), trade facilitation initiatives or social programs supporting accessibility through multilingual communication platforms since 2022: https://www.ecowas.int/category/news/