WEST AFRICAN MINISTERS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND ADOPT STRATEGIC RESOLUTIONS TO ADVANCE REGIONAL WATER GOVERNANCE AHEAD OF THE FIRST-EVER WEST AFRICA REGIONAL WATER FORUM

West African Ministers responsible for water resources have reaffirmed their collective commitment to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and adopted a set of strategic resolutions aimed at consolidating regional water governance, strengthening transboundary cooperation and accelerating the transition towards a more resilient, water-secure and climate-adaptive West Africa. The decisions adopted in Abidjan reflect a renewed regional determination to position water not merely as a natural resource, but as a strategic asset for regional integration, economic transformation, human security and sustainable development.

Convened under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the 6th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on IWRM provided a high-level platform for assessing progress in the implementation of regional commitments, reviewing emerging challenges affecting shared water resources and defining strategic priorities for the next phase of regional cooperation in the water sector.

In his opening remarks, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Hon. Amin Amidu Sulemani, underscored the centrality of water to regional stability, food security, energy production and socio-economic transformation. He stressed that the increasing frequency of climate-related shocks, coupled with environmental degradation, demographic pressures and competing demands on water resources, requires a strengthened framework for collective action and deeper regional solidarity in the management of shared water systems.