By Innocent Odoh & Punarimam Fehintola, Lome, Togo
The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament) has been urged to intensify its efforts in promoting projects that will give more assistance to women and girls in the community amid the flood disasters and other conflicts that have ravaged parts of the sub region.
Member of Parliament, Blessing Onu from Nigeria raised this critical issue on Monday during the Committee of Conference meeting presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, ahead of the commencement of the 2024 third Extra-Ordinary Session and Second Parliamentary Seminar on Tuesday September 24 in Lomé, Togo.
Recall that in Borno state, Nigeria, the Alau Dam breached it banks in the early hours of 10 September, causing flooding in Maiduguri city in the Northeast of Nigeria. Before this incident, heavy rainfall flooded many areas of Borno state affecting road access and left hundreds dead and caused massive damage.
Over One million person were affected and more 414,000 people displaced with many houses and crops destroyed. Thousands have lost their homes and livelihoods in a region already threatened by food insecurity.
There are similar reports of floods disasters in part of Niger Republic. Authorities in the country have registered over 1 million people affected by floods. Over 300 people have died according to official sources.
Hon. Onu, said the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Gender is disturbed about the plight of the civilian population already affected by the protracted conflict in the region. She added that women are the biggest victims of the floods and other conflicts that afflict the region, even as she called for more budgetary provisions to enhance gender-based projects.
The regional parliamentarians hope that “Empowering Women through Financial Inclusion”, the theme of the much expected symposium that will be organized by the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) on October 1, 2024, will help in addressing the challenges women face in accessing financial services and promote economic empowerment.
Unlocking women’s potential and driving regional development has been the focus of ECOFEPA in its ceaseless drive to enhance the status of women in the region.
The Parliament will also organize capacity building for the Sixth Legislature, the orientation seminar on the functioning of Parliament for Members of the new Sixth Legislature, which will precede the Extra-Ordinary session. The objective is to improve understanding of ECOWAS institutions and equip Members with necessary information to fully represent the people of the sub-region.
According to the Speaker, “The seminar will enable our new Members to hit the ground running, making informed decisions that benefit our citizens.”
The session will also examine the level of implementation of the Parliament’s 2023 budget as well as the mid-term budget for the 2024 financial year. “This review is crucial in ensuring that our budget aligns with the region’s development goals,” a statement issued by communications division of the sub-regional Parliament said.
Additionally, the session will consider and adopt the Community Parliament’s 2025 draft budget. “We must prioritise strategic planning to drive economic growth and development in our region,” the statement added.