The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has adopted a common meteorological system for Member states to support efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Currently, around 2.5% of the annual budget is allocated to climate change resilience initiatives in the subregion.
Participants at the 14th meeting of the Committee of Directors of Hydrological and Meteorological Services, held in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 19, 2025, pledged to launch regional initiatives to prepare for the impacts of climate change and mitigate its negative effects on food security in the Economic Community West African States. Currently, around 2.5% of the annual budget is devoted to climate change mitigation efforts in the sub region.
“Nigeria’s contributions to the development and practice of meteorology in the ECOWAS region are wide-ranging. They include providing technical support to Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, and hosting regional training and capacity-building programmes at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Lagos”.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development – Nigeria
According to data from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), flooding increased by 47% between 2021 and 2024, affecting 5 million people and resulting in the loss of $1.2 billion in food production. This underlines the crucial importance of reliable weather data services to support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in member states. To this end, ECOWAS has adopted a common meteorological system for its member states.
“Africa is bearing the brunt of the impact of climate change. The African State of the Climate reports for 2023 and 2024 revealed a growing trend in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods and droughts on our continent, particularly in West Africa”.
Agnes Kijazi, Director, World Meteorological Organisation, Africa Office – Tanzania
As awareness of climate risks grows in West Africa, regulations and guidelines are aimed at tackling the issues. Some West African countries have also signed the Paris Agreement, which aims to reduce greenhouse gases, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has adopted a common strategy for the year 2030, aimed at strengthening cooperation in adaptation policies. It supports regional initiatives to set up early warning systems for floods, droughts and other climate-related disasters.
