ECOWAS member states, regional institutions, development partners and youth groups met in Abuja from 27 to 29 October 2026 to shape a two-year work plan on climate-related human mobility, the ECOWAS Commission said.
The second meeting of the Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) Thematic Working Group on Climate Change, Land Degradation, Desertification, Environment and Migration was convened by the Commission’s Directorate of Free Movement of Persons, Migration and Tourism.
According to the Commission, participants worked to translate the group’s mandate into a 2027-2028 work plan, identify priorities for supporting member states as they implement their Nationally Determined Contributions and develop or revise National Adaptation Plans, and explore the feasibility of a regional Green Climate Fund project or readiness proposal.
The meeting follows the reactivation of the working group in 2025 and what the Commission described as subsequent regional efforts to integrate human mobility into climate and migration policy.
Discussions in Abuja helped identify priority activities, responsible institutions, timelines and resource needs for the work plan, alongside next steps on regional support and climate-finance proposal development.
In welcome remarks delivered on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Comptroller Abdul Majeed Yabagi, representing the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs Kemi Nanna Nandap, said climate-driven mobility is already affecting border flows and settlement patterns across West Africa.
He called for stronger evidence, coordinated migration and adaptation planning, and greater input from affected communities.
Mr Albert Siaw-Boateng, Director of Free Movement of Persons, Migration and Tourism, spoke on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. General Birame Diop.
In his opening address he underscored what the Commission described as the urgent need for regional cooperation on climate-related mobility, calling for evidence-based policies, stronger partnerships and investment in resilience, and highlighting the contribution of safe mobility and youth participation to a sustainable future for West Africa.
The Chairperson of the working group, Mr Camara Waly, a Commissioner of Divisional Police of the Republic of Senegal, encouraged delegates from member states to be mindful of the growing impact of climate change and environmental degradation on communities and livelihoods across the region.
He emphasised the value of regional cooperation and evidence-based dialogue to strengthen resilience, address climate-related mobility and turn shared commitments into practical action.
Madam Ajara Jallow, delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the International Organization for Migration, said the meeting’s deliberations should show how evidence on climate mobility can inform policy, guide investment, strengthen national climate plans and support climate-finance proposals that address human mobility.
For the Embassy of Switzerland, Madam Ojoma Ali highlighted the effects of climate change on livelihoods, food security and migration.
She emphasised youth participation and practical climate action to reduce vulnerability and expand opportunities across West Africa, and reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS and its member states through regional cooperation, evidence-based policymaking and resilience-building.
The Commission cited figures on the scale of the challenge.
The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre recorded approximately 12.7 million internal disaster displacement movements in West Africa between 2009 and 2023, while the World Bank’s Groundswell Africa analysis estimates that, without adequate climate and development action, the region could see up to 32 million internal climate migrants by 2050.
The Commission said the projections underscore the need for resilience and preparedness, while choices made on adaptation, livelihoods and risk reduction can influence future outcomes.
The meeting, the Commission said, reflected ECOWAS’ commitment to a coordinated response that recognises mobility as part of the region’s climate and development agenda.
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