ECOWAS Water Ministers Adopt Resolutions To Improve Regional Water Management
By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
Water Resources Ministers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have adopted some resolutions that would improve water management in the region.
Rising from the 5th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee (MMC) for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in West Africa held in Abuja, Nigeria, the Ministers adopted the 2016-2023 Stocktaking Report, and 2024 Work Programme and Budget of the Water Resources Management Centre (WRMC).
They also adopted the draft directive on the management of shared water resources in West Africa, and the draft directive on the development of hydraulic infrastructures in West Africa.
Others are: the revision of the West African Water Resources Policy (WAWRP); promotion of new transboundary basin organisations in West Africa; adoption of the WRMC’s 2025-2035 Strategic Plan; setting up of a West African water fund within EBID;
“Accession of ECOWAS Member States to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and the 1997 Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses; water centres of excellence in West Africa; coordination and support for new water initiatives in West Africa;
“Endorsement of the Key Decisions of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Committee and the Experts’ Technical Committee of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) of the West African Region held in Dakar in June 2024; Regional Initiative for the Development, Resilience and Enhancement of Water Resources in West Africa (DREVE); and the holding of the next statutory meetings of the Permanent Coordination and Monitoring Framework for IWRM in West Africa (PCMF/AO)”.
Speaking, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who doubles as the Chairman of the Ministerial Follow-up Committee on IWRM in West Africa, Prof. Joseph Utsev emphasized the need for unity amongst member states in the West African sub-region for effective water management.
He said: “To truly see growth in the sub-region, we need to be united and work as a team especially when it comes to the management of our water resources, both surface and underground.
“The sub-region has a great amount of potential, and through working together, we can foster a region that can solve its challenges – from climate change, poverty, unemployment, inequality, and more”, he said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Sediko Douka said,
the Abuja meeting, which is being held almost nine (09) years after the Dakar meeting in November 2015, is of utmost importance.
“It aims to revitalize the Permanent Coordination and Monitoring Framework (PCMF) of IWRM in West Africa and to assess the implementation status of the West Africa Water Resources Policy (WAWRP) adopted in December 2008 by the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government.
“The WAWRP represents a unique experience in the development of a common sectoral policy for West African regional integration organizations (ECOWAS-WAEMU-CILSS)”, he noted.
At the end of the meeting, the Ministerial Monitoring Committee, requested to ECOWAS to ensure the good operation of the PFCM organs in order to avoid the long interval.
The meeting thanked the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the warm welcome and all the facilities provided for hosting the meeting, as well as all the technical and financial partners for their continuous support to the IWRM process in West Africa.
The meeting was attended by the Water Resources Ministers for The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone; and duuly authorised representatives of the Water Resources Ministers from Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Togo.
Also in attendance were: National Focal Points from Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo; The Focal Points of the Basin Organisations: ABM, ABN, OMVG, OMVS as well as those being in inception ABCBT, ABMRU; Representatives of sub-regional institutions and partners: WAEMU, ICDCS, GWP/AO, AMCOW, AWF/AfDB, World Bank, UNICEF, ACEWATER/AUDA-NEPAD, IWMI; ECOWAS bodies concerned with the issue of water resources (Environment Directorate, Legal Affairs Directorate, PPDU, PRAI-MFD, ECREEE); and The WRMC-ECOWAS Staff.
