The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadja Maimounatou Ibrahima, has called on West African leaders and lawmakers to demonstrate “unwavering determination” and pursue collective, coordinated and united action to address the growing security, climate, economic and institutional challenges confronting the sub-region.
She said the resilience of West African countries was being severely tested by a combination of interconnected crises, making regional cooperation and decisive action more urgent than ever.
Speaker Ibrahima made the call in her opening address at the joint opening of the Second Parliamentary Seminar and the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in Accra, Ghana.
The seminar is being held under the theme, “Climate Change, Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Growing Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region.”
According to Speaker Ibrahima, the ECOWAS Parliament must move beyond being a platform for debate and ensure that parliamentary deliberations translate into concrete policies and tangible outcomes for citizens across the region.
“The security, climate, economic and institutional challenges facing our region continue to test our resilience. Yet overcoming these complex challenges demands of us unwavering determination in collective, coordinated and united action,” she said.
Climate Change Threatens Regional Stability
Speaker Ibrahima said the choice of climate change and environmental degradation as the focus of the parliamentary seminar reflected the growing recognition that climate change was no longer merely an environmental or development concern.
She noted that worsening environmental hazards, including severe flooding and coastal degradation, were destroying livelihoods, increasing pressure on scarce resources, displacing communities and contributing to tensions and conflicts.
“Climate disruption does not affect only our soils, our forests or our coastlines. It undermines livelihoods, increases pressure on resources, causes population displacement and exacerbates tensions within our communities,” she warned.
She stressed the need for international commitments and regional frameworks on climate change to be translated into properly funded national programmes, effective legislation and measurable results.
“It is our duty to ensure that the commitments made by our States become funded policies, effective legislation and results that our populations can see,” Speaker Ibrahima said.
ECOWAS Parliament Turns to 2027 Budget
Following the three-day parliamentary seminar, the Extraordinary Session will focus on key legislative and oversight matters, including consideration and adoption of the ECOWAS Parliament’s draft budget for the 2027 financial year and its annual programme of activities.
Speaker Ibrahima urged lawmakers to approach the budget process with discipline, transparency and a strong focus on priorities, particularly at a time when countries across the region continue to face economic pressures.
“The budget exercise is, above all, an exercise in prioritisation, action and credibility,” she said.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the resources requested correspond to clearly established priorities and contribute to programmes that have real impact for regional integration.”
The session will also consider progress reports on ongoing regional initiatives, while the ECOWAS Network of Women Parliamentarians (ECOFEPA) will participate in proceedings as part of efforts to strengthen women’s representation and empowerment across the region.
Speaker Ibrahima said the Parliament’s deliberations must ultimately contribute to building a more resilient, secure and integrated West Africa capable of responding collectively to the challenges facing its people.
Nkrumah’s Pan-African Vision
The ECOWAS Parliament Speaker also paid tribute to Ghana’s founding President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, on the occasion of his birthday, describing his vision of African unity and self-determination as highly relevant to the challenges confronting the continent today.
She expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama and the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Bagbin, for hosting the ECOWAS parliamentary gathering in the spirit of Pan-African solidarity.
Speaker Ibrahima also commended President Mahama for his advocacy on issues of continental and global importance, including his call at the United Nations General Assembly for recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a grave crime against humanity and for a fair reparations framework.
She further referenced his position against xenophobia on the African continent as part of the broader need for solidarity and cooperation among African countries.
Speaker Ibrahima congratulated Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on his assumption of the chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, as well as General Birame Diop on his appointment as President of the ECOWAS Commission.
She pledged the Parliament’s support and cooperation with the new leadership to advance regional integration and strengthen the ECOWAS community.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
