Demand 07
Promote Regional Solidarity and Transboundary Water Cooperation
West Africa’s major rivers, including the Volta (six countries), Niger (nine countries), Senegal (four countries), and Mono (two countries), cross national borders (Sangbana, 2022; United Nations Environment Programme, 2024). Pollution or over-extraction upstream directly threatens wildlife, downstream farming, drinking water, and ecosystems. We call on states to turn shared geography into binding political cooperation. Regional bodies (such as the Volta Basin Authority, Niger Basin Authority, Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal (OMVS), and Mano River Union) must be properly funded, enforce standards against industrial and mining pollution, and open their doors to public participation (Cooperation in International Waters in Africa, 2022; Geneva Water Hub, 2022). Pollution from mining, oil, waste, and industrial runoff was named the single largest water threat across the region, affecting wildlife especially endangered species (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, 2024).Impacts of droughts, flooding and post-harvest losses have led to large deficits between supply and demand for major food items⁶ in the country. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), about 14.4 million Nigerians are facing a food crisis⁷. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the food inflation rate in March 2023 was 24.45 per cent on a year-on-year basis; which was 7.25% points higher compared to the rate recorded in March 2022 (17.20%).⁸ Therefore, Nigeria must re-evaluate its food systems and value chains to attain food security in a fragile ecosystem that is threatened by climate change.
Call To Action
ECOWAS and regional water institutions should create mechanisms for young people from different countries to participate in transboundary water diplomacy.
West African states should develop and enforce common standards for industrial, mining, agricultural and urban pollution.
Major extraction projects should consider impacts on downstream countries and communities before approval.
Regional institutions should finance local initiatives that protect riverbanks, wetlands and watersheds and address waste and pollution.
Transboundary basin authorities (such as the Volta and Niger Basin Authorities) must mandate real-time, cross-border data sharing regarding water flow, drought indicators, and pollution alerts, ensuring that downstream communities receive advance warning of ecological emergencies.
References
[6] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/food-storage-as-business-opportunity/
[7] https://www.thecable.ng/fao-14-4m-nigerians-facing-food-crisis-amid-insecurity-rising-inflation