Heads of Disaster Management and Civil Protection Agencies from ECOWAS Member States are gathered in Accra, Ghana, for the 16th Consultative Meeting of the Regional Committee for Disaster Management in West Africa (GECEAO).
The three-day meeting, organised by the ECOWAS Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), aims to review the regional Recovery Roadmap and Roster, strengthen disaster coordination, and enhance regional resilience-building.
Opening the event on behalf of the Director of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Head of the Disaster Risk Management Unit, underscored the impact of disasters on West African communities over the past 25 years, noting losses exceeding a billion dollars.
He highlighted the growing frequency and intensity of disasters, which are driven by environmental degradation, rapid urbanisation, and climate change.
He said: “Member States must prioritize humanitarian assistance and invest in resilience-building programmes in collaboration with partners to mitigate these challenges.”
ECOWAS’ 2025 Humanitarian Response Initiative targets reaching over 600,000 individuals through programmes addressing food security, displacement, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), healthcare, and early recovery support. The initiative also emphasises regional pre-preparedness, emergency response coordination, and the adoption of new technologies to ensure timely, dignified aid delivery.
Speaking on behalf of Hajiya Zubaida Umar, Director General, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Idris Mohammed emphasised the urgent need for cooperation and collaboration for effective management of disasters across the region, 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.” He added that by sharing experiences, expertise, and resources, we can build a more resilient region.
He also shared Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to train disaster management professionals through partnerships with six federal universities, offering certificates in postgraduate programmes in disaster and development studies to build regional expertise.
He further emphasised NEMA’s commitment to working with disaster management agencies of ECOWAS member states to enhance the collective capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters. He said that we have done it in the past and are ready to build on our past achievements.
Major (rtd.) Dr. Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, Chairman of GECEAO and Director General of Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), commended Ghana’s recent legislative reforms empowering NADMO and announced the development of a national Disaster Risk Financing Strategy. He stressed the need for capacity building and called on participants to use their expertise to inform policy and drive impactful resource allocation.
“Our collaboration must translate regional hydro-meteorological warnings into tangible preparedness and mitigation actions,” Major Kuyon said. “Let us integrate disaster risk reduction into our national development plans for 2025–2026 and work toward GECEAO’s vision of harmonized disaster management in West Africa.”
The consultative meeting serves as a platform for strategic dialogue, knowledge exchange, and regional solidarity, as ECOWAS Member States work together to confront rising disaster risks and protect vulnerable communities across the region.
