ECOWAS lawmakers warn climate change is driving West African security crises

ECOWAS climate change West Africa farmer-herder conflict regional security

During the Second 2026 Parliamentary Seminar of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra, Ghana, lawmakers warned that climate change is evolving into a major security and governance challenge for West Africa.

Parliamentarians noted that shrinking water resources and degraded farmland are fueling competition for land, which in turn aggravates farmer-herder conflicts, displaces communities, and deepens poverty. In Nigeria, environmental pressures are intersecting with population growth and changing migration patterns to intensify tensions between farming and pastoral communities. Reports cited by the seminar indicate that more than 2.2 million people have been internally displaced in North-East Nigeria due to various factors, including climate-related disasters and armed conflict.

Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima called for urgent regional collaboration and the adoption of inclusive climate policies. Key recommendations from the seminar include the establishment of a Regional Climate Resilience Fund, the strengthening of early-warning systems, and the promotion of agroforestry and renewable energy.

Entities

Accra · ECOWAS Commission · ECOWAS Parliament · Economic Community of West African States · Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima · International Organisation for Migration · Nassirou Bako-Arifari

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] Lawmakers are shifting from treating climate change as an environmental issue to a governance, humanitarian, and security challenge. www.arise.tv · www.thisdaylive.com
[● 2 SOURCES] More than 2.2 million people were internally displaced in North-East Nigeria according to 2025 assessments. www.arise.tv · www.thisdaylive.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Recommendations include establishing a Regional Climate Resilience Fund and strengthening early-warning systems. ghanaguardian.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The ECOWAS Parliament called for urgent, coordinated action to address climate change effects in West Africa. ghanaguardian.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Environmental pressures and population growth are intensifying competition between farming and pastoral communities in Nigeria. www.arise.tv · www.thisdaylive.com

Sources

Climate Crisis: ECOWAS Lawmakers Warn Shrinking Land, Water Could Fuel Security Crises [www.arise.tv]

about 19 hours ago

ECOWAS Parliament urges immediate action to confront climate change crisis [ghanaguardian.com]

2 days ago

Climate Change, Insecurity May Displace 32m People By 2050 — ECOWAS [pointblanknews.com]

3 days ago

Climate Crisis: ECOWAS Parliamentarians Warn of ‘Security Time Bomb’ as Land, Water Shrink [www.thisdaylive.com]

1 day ago