ECOWAS Parliament Faces Funding Test As Ghana Demands Climate Action Beyond Rhetoric
Michael Olugbode in Abuja Ghana has called on West African governments to move beyond climate policy commitments and translate them into adequately funded programmes, stronger legislation and coordinated interventions to
Ghana has urged West African nations to move beyond climate policy pledges and implement adequately financed programs, robust legislation, and coordinated actions to tackle environmental degradation, population displacement, and security issues across the region. During the ECOWAS Parliament's second 2026 Parliamentary Seminar and Second Extraordinary Session in Accra, Ghana's Vice-President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, emphasized the interconnectedness of challenges and the need for a unified regional response.
Opoku-Agyemang advocated for stronger early-warning systems, improved aid for communities housing displaced individuals, more resilient livelihoods, and enhanced coordination among neighboring countries. Ghana is collaborating with ECOWAS to enhance early-warning mechanisms through improved data sharing and stronger links between national and regional response systems.
The vice-president also stressed the importance of increased access to climate finance and investments in resilient agriculture, water management, coastal defense, and clean energy. ECOWAS Parliament Speaker Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima echoed similar sentiments, stressing the importance of incorporating humanitarian, economic, social, migratory, and security concerns into climate resilience policies.
She highlighted the role of parliamentarians in ensuring that climate resilience measures include the humanitarian dimensions and economic, social, and security aspects. Ibrahima cited flooding along the West African coastline as a demonstration of the interconnectedness of climate change, humanitarian crises, and insecurity. The Ghanaian Parliament urged ECOWAS member states to strengthen legislation on environmental governance, climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and natural-resource management.
They called for better protection of displaced populations, refugees, and host communities, alongside investments in economic opportunities for young people and women. The focus was on climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and entrepreneurship to bolster livelihoods and help communities withstand environmental pressures. Representatives from Ghana emphasized the need for collective action, noting that environmental threats and environmental crimes transcend national borders, demanding cooperation among countries to address shared environmental challenges.
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