ECOWAS COMMISSION HOLDS STRATEGIC MEETING WITH SWEDEN ON RESILIENCE-BUILDING IN WEST AFRICA

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and the Government of Sweden convened a strategic meeting on resilience-building in West Africa at the ECOWAS Commission Annex, River Plaza, Abuja, Nigeria.

The Swedish delegation was led by Mr. Joachim Beijmo, Head of Development Cooperation in Africa at the Embassy of Sweden in Ethiopia. The delegation was received by Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, representing Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was represented by Ms. Reshmi Theckethil, Project Manager of the Sahel Resilience Project.

In her remarks, Dr. Ugbe expressed appreciation for Sweden’s sustained support to Sahel countries and ECOWAS Member States through the Sahel Resilience Project. She commended Mr. Beijmo’s leadership and collaboration, which have significantly strengthened ECOWAS interventions across the region. She reaffirmed ECOWAS’ commitment, and the readiness of its strong technical team in collaboration with partners, to advance the work, including the implementation of the Regional Resilience Strategy for West Africa (2024–2025), adopted by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.

Mr. Beijmo, in his remarks, applauded ECOWAS’s leadership and the technical teams from ECOWAS and UNDP for the progress achieved under the Sahel Resilience Project, particularly in building institutional capacities and strengthening systems to facilitate investments in resilience-building. He highlighted the Regional Resilience Strategy for West Africa (2024–2050) and ongoing work on recovery preparedness and urban resilience, expressing confidence that ECOWAS, in partnership with UNDP and other stakeholders, will continue to build on these successes to benefit the communities.

The meeting provided an opportunity for technical staff within the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Risk Management Division to showcase key achievements of the Sahel Resilience Project as well as related initiatives that have contributed to strengthened recovery preparedness, enhanced early warning and early action systems, improved disaster risk governance, and increased urban resilience.

As part of the engagement, the Swedish delegation undertook a guided tour of the ECOWAS Disaster Operations Centre (DOC). The tour featured live demonstrations of ECOWAS early warning products and response systems, underscoring the Centre’s role as a hub for regional coordination. Participants observed how the DOC enhances the exchange of data and information among Member States, strengthens collective disaster preparedness, and supports rapid response to emergencies. The ECOWAS Commission and Sweden reaffirmed their commitment to working with UNDP and other partners to strengthen resilience, disaster preparedness, and sustainable development across West Africa.