West Africa’s Disaster Management Experts Convene in Accra to Strengthen Regional Recovery and Resilience Strategies

By: Michael Mike

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, organized by the ECOWAS Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), aims to review the regional Recovery Roadmap and Roster, strengthen disaster coor- dination, and enhance resilience-building across the region.

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 driven by environmental degradation, rapid urbanization, 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 Hy- giene), healthcare, and early recovery support. The initiative also emphasizes regional pre- paredness, 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 emphasized 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.” By sharing experiences, expertise, and resources, we can build a more resilient region, he added.

He also shared Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to train disaster management professionals through partnerships with six federal universities, offering certificate to postgraduate programmes in disaster and development studies, aimed at building regional expertise.

He further emphasized 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. We have done it in the past, and we ready to build on our past achievements, he said.

Chairman of GECEAO and Director General of Ghana’s National Disaster Management Orga- nization (NADMO), Major (Rtd.) Dr. Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, 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 pre- paredness 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.

West Africa’s Disaster Management Experts Convene in Accra to Strengthen Regional Recovery and Resilience Strategies

ECOWAS, EU, Germany Collaborate to Combat Growing Threat of Cybercrime in West Africa

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union, have convened a High-Level Briefing and Workshop on Cyber Diplomacy for the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) to combat the growing threat of cybercrime in Nigeria and other West African countries.

According to a statement on Wednesday by the German Embassy, “On 20 May 2025, the ECOWAS Commission in partnership with the German Federal Foreign Office and
the European Union, under the Joint Platform for Advancing Cyber Security, hosted a High-Level Briefing and Workshop on Cyber Diplomacy for the ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee
(PRC) in Abuja, Nigeria.”

The statement further read that: “As cyber threats grow in complexity and scale, particularly in a rapidly digitalizing West Africa, strengthening cyber security and international cooperation has become imperative to safeguard sustainable development and foster regional cyber resilience.

“Against this backdrop, the workshop
aimed to enhance awareness of cybersecurity as a strategic foreign policy issue and foster regional dialogue on cyber diplomacy.”

The statement revealed that: “The event forms part of the ECOWAS-Germany-EU initiative on advancing cybersecurity. It seeks to implement the ECOWAS Cybersecurity Action Plan developed jointly under Germany’s G7 Presidency with a focus on building cyber diplomacy skills, advancing confidence-building measures (CBMs), and strengthening critical infrastructure across the region.”

The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther opened the event on behalf of the
German Embassy. In her remarks, she emphasized: “In an era where cyber threats know no borders,diplomacy is key to defend our shared values of security, trust, and cooperation in cyberspace. Cyber
diplomacy promotes cross-border cooperation and represents a crucial stride towards fostering a more secure and interconnected cyberspace – globally, and particularly here in West Africa.”

ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Mr. Sédiko Douka, and Chair of the ECOWAS PRC, Ambassador Musa Nuhu,, also addressed the gathering, underscoring the
strategic value of digital resilience and multilateral engagement.

The workshop marked another milestone in the ongoing implementation of the ECOWAS
Cybersecurity Agenda and reaffirmed the commitment of all partners to strengthening regional security, trust, and sustainable digital transformation.

ECOWAS, EU, Germany Collaborate to Combat Growing Threat of Cybercrime in West Africa

NCoS Place Cash Reward on Information on Seven Ilesa Prison Escapees

By: Michael Mike

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has placed a gift of N5 million for useful information on fleeing inmates from the Medium Custodial Centre, Ilesha, Osun State.

The gift was contained in a statement released to the press on Wednesday by the spokesman of the Service, Umar Abubakar.

The statement read: “In order to encourage public participation, the Nigerian Correctional Service wishes to inform the general public that a reward of N5 million is being offered to anyone who provides useful information that leads to the recapture of the fleeing inmates from the Medium Custodial Centre, Ilesha, Osun State.

“The Service urges members of the public to report any information they may have regarding the whereabouts of the inmates at large to the nearest security agencies. All information will be treated with utmost confidentiality and anonymity.

Members of the public with useful information are also advised to get in contact with NCoS Public Complaint Response Desk: complaintresponsedesk@corrections.gov.ng; Email: info@corrections.gov.ng or 07087086005, 09060004598, 08075050006

The Nigerian Correctional Service has earlier launched an expansive manhunt for the seven fleeing inmates who fled the Ilesa facility following the rainfall that breached its security.

The force majeure which occurred at about 0200hours on Tuesday, 20th of May 2025 led to the escape of seven inmates, according to NCoS.

The escapees are John Michael (39 years), Tobi Akin (19 years), Olalekan Ajofoyinbo (45 years), Matthew Ogunjimi (20 years), Ninalowo Yusuf (28 years), Eze Nweze (40 years) and Kabiru Oyedun (39 years)

NCoS Place Cash Reward on Information on Seven Ilesa Prison Escapees