Conakry hosts ECOWAS WRMC strategic retreat on sustainable water management
22 Aug, 2025The ECOWAS Water Resources Management Centre (WRMC) organised a technical retreat on strategic planning and budget preparation in Conakry from the 18th to 21st of August 2025. This high-level meeting brought together WRMC officials, experts from the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (SPME), and representatives of the Regional Programme for the Integrated Development of the Fouta Djallon Massif (PRAI-MFD).
The main objective was to consolidate the foundations for integrated and sustainable water governance in West Africa. Over four days, participants finalised the draft multi-year budget for 2026-2028 and conducted an in-depth review of the WRMC’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2035. With technical support from SPME, this work ensured perfect consistency between the Centre’s priorities, ECOWAS’ Vision 2050 and the Community Strategic Framework 2023-2027. This process represents a significant step forward in the effective integration of issues related to the sustainable and equitable management of water resources into regional policies.
The discussions also highlighted the major challenges facing the sub-region, including growing pressure on water resources and the urgent need for enhanced cooperation between Member States. SPME experts provided methodological support through the development of strategic tools such as the logical framework, risk analysis and budget narratives. The PRAI-MFD, for its part, shared its expertise on the preservation of the Fouta Djallon Massif and was directly involved in the budget exercise, thereby consolidating the complementarity between the two institutions and paving the way for greater synergy.
This retreat also marked a significant step in the process of relocating the WRMC’s headquarters to Conakry, in accordance with the decision adopted at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and Government, held in June 2025 in Abuja. To this end, a visit to the site intended to house the Centre was organised, followed by a meeting with the Directorate of African Integration, in the presence of the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea.
In closing the proceedings, the Director of WRMC praised the decisive role played by SPME and the contribution made by PRAI-MFD, emphasising that this retreat marked a key step in the revitalisation of the Centre. He stressed the need to mobilise technical and financial partners to ensure the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan and the multi-year budget, in the interests of sustainable and concerted water resource management in West Africa.
