ECOWAS warns climate change could displace 32 million West Africans by 2050

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has warned that climate change, environmental degradation, and insecurity could displace nearly 32 million people in West Africa by 2050. This projection, based on World Bank data, was presented during the Second 2026 Parliamentary Seminar in Accra, Ghana.

ECOWAS Commission President General Birame Diop, represented by Commissioner Prof. Nassirou Bako-Arifari, noted that the crisis is already underway. In 2024, climate-related disasters displaced over two million people, while flooding affected more than seven million, destroying critical infrastructure such as homes, schools, and roads. Between 2025 and 2026, the combined impact of climate change and insecurity displaced over 12 million people across West and Central Africa, with women and children comprising 80% of those affected.

To address the crisis, officials estimated that West Africa requires approximately $294 billion in climate financing. ECOWAS is working toward establishing a regional carbon market platform under the Paris Agreement to mobilize investment. During the seminar, Ghana’s Vice-President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, called for coordinated regional responses, including stronger early-warning systems and increased investment in resilient agriculture and coastal protection.