ECOWAS moved to turn regional climate-mobility policy commitments into operational guidance, reviewing a draft Management Guidance Handbook at a 30 October 2026 workshop in Abuja, Nigeria.
The workshop was organised by the Commission’s Directorates of Free Movement of Persons and Migration, and Environment and Natural Resources, and brought together representatives of Commission directorates and specialised agencies, technical experts and development partners.
The draft was prepared with support from German Cooperation (GIZ), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), under the European Union-funded Free Movement and Migration in West Africa (FMM West Africa) programme, according to a report from the Economic Community of West African States.
Participants reviewed the Handbook’s proposed institutional arrangements, sectoral recommendations and implementation tools. The Commission described the exercise as part of its broader effort to strengthen institutional capacity to address human mobility in the context of climate change.
Three objectives set for the review
In welcome remarks delivered on behalf of the Director of Free Movement of Persons and Migration, the Programme Officer, Border Management, Mr. Obinna Ajugwo, said the Commission’s responsibility goes beyond recognising how climate change influences human mobility, and that regional frameworks must be translated into practical measures responding to the needs of affected populations.
He set three objectives for the workshop: to examine the draft Handbook critically, to identify institutional gaps and clarify areas of responsibility, and to propose practical recommendations.
He also linked the meeting to the work of the Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) Thematic Working Group on Migration and Climate Change, which had concluded the previous day.
In a goodwill message, the Migration Specialist at the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria, Ms. Ojoma Ali, said the Handbook should clarify institutional responsibilities, coordination mechanisms and the practical implications for affected communities.
She stressed the importance of early action, clearly defined responsibilities and evidence-informed protection approaches.
What the draft contains
Mr. Gboyega Olorunfemi, Key Expert of the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), presented the draft.
He explained that it draws on a review of ECOWAS policy frameworks, stakeholder mapping, consultations with Commission directorates and previous regional dialogues, and that it seeks to bridge the gap between policy commitments and their operational implementation.
The document brings together key definitions, institutional mandates and a regional policy mapping matrix, alongside an analysis of eight sectoral nexuses: peace, security and early warning; agriculture and food security; urbanisation and sustainable infrastructure; humanitarian affairs and disaster risk management; health and human security; digital technology, data systems and statistics; green economy and labour migration; and education, culture and social cohesion.
Beyond its analysis, the Handbook is designed as a working tool.
It proposes step-by-step screening procedures, directorate-specific action cards and gender-responsive mainstreaming checklists, together with a scoring framework intended to assess the extent to which climate-related mobility considerations are incorporated into institutional policies, programmes and budgets.
It builds on existing regional and international frameworks, including the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment, the Regional Climate Strategy, the Regional Resilience Strategy, the Paris Agreement, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Amendments proposed in plenary
Participants examined the draft chapter by chapter in plenary and proposed amendments aimed at strengthening its institutional relevance and operational value.
- Stronger integration and visibility of gender considerations.
- Making the Handbook available in the Community’s three official languages: English, French and Portuguese.
- Reflecting the ECOWAS Regional Migration Policy and the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) in the policy mapping matrix, given the close links between climate change, pastoralism, agriculture and human mobility.
- Recognising water and energy as drivers of mobility.
- Examining the economic dimensions of climate change in relation to human mobility.
- Clarifying institutional responsibilities and strengthening the engagement of all relevant Commission directorates, including the Directorate of Early Warning.
- Positioning climate-related human mobility as a cross-cutting development priority.
Next steps
With the technical review completed, participants have been invited to submit additional comments to inform the consolidation of the draft by SPP. The document will then undergo professional editing and graphic design before finalisation.
Once completed, the Handbook is expected to provide the ECOWAS Commission’s directorates and specialised agencies with practical institutional guidance, while serving Member States as a reference for strengthening national policy coherence and aligning their responses with regional priorities on climate-related human mobility.
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