Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament) are pushing for stronger legislative powers to tackle the region's growing climate crisis, migration, and security challenges. They argue that an amendment to the existing framework is necessary to grant the parliament more authority. Currently, the parliament is limited to an advisory role, which hinders its ability to hold the executive arm of government accountable. This issue was raised by Nigerian lawmakers Ali Ndume and Awaji Abiante during the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session and Seminar in Accra, Ghana.
The seminar focused on climate-related pressures on migration, food security, pastoralism, land use, and regional security. Discussions centered on how environmental degradation and changing conditions contribute to population displacement and the implications of population movements across borders on communities and governments. Climate change was identified as the driving force behind environmental degradation, population displacement, and growing insecurity in the region. The lawmakers emphasized the need for the parliament to effectively respond to these problems, but its current consultative role limits its ability to do so.
According to Hon Abiante, strengthening the parliament is crucial to enable its recommendations to carry greater legislative weight. He stressed that the issue is how to increase the power of the regional parliament so that it can compel implementation of its recommendations, rather than just advising or making recommendations. Ndume lamented the parliament's institutional weakness, noting that its recommendations depend on decisions made by other ECOWAS organs. He questioned the effectiveness of the parliament's advisory role and how many of its recommendations have been considered.
Ndume described climate change as a governance test and emphasized the need for a stronger parliament to make regional lawmakers more directly accountable for the issues they debate. He noted that the ECOWAS Parliament's legal framework already gives it responsibilities in regional integration, peace, security, and the enactment of Community Acts. The 2016 Supplementary Act provides for parliamentary opinions and mandatory assent in specified areas, but the distinction between having parliamentary functions and possessing full legislative authority remains important.
Until the parliament is given more responsibility, it cannot be held accountable for its actions, Ndume said. A stronger parliament will enable lawmakers to represent their people, advocate, speak to issues, and hold institutions to account. This is the essence of being a member of parliament. The ECOWAS Parliament Protocols previously acknowledged that the Parliament's powers were intended to progress from an advisory role towards co-decision and eventually a law-making role in areas defined by the regional Authority.
Despite earlier ambitions, the ECOWAS Parliament has remained largely consultative and advisory. The lawmakers believe that a stronger parliament will enable them to effectively respond to the region's growing challenges. The seminar in Accra, Ghana, provided a platform for discussions on the institutional questions surrounding the parliament's role and how it can be strengthened to address the region's pressing issues. The issue of climate change and its impact on the region was a major focus of the discussions.
The ECOWAS Parliament's push for stronger legislative powers is a significant development in the region's efforts to address climate change, migration, and security challenges. The outcome of the seminar and the proposed amendments to the parliament's framework will be crucial in determining the parliament's role in shaping the region's future. The lawmakers' efforts to strengthen the parliament are seen as a step towards enabling the region to effectively respond to the growing challenges it faces.
Key points
- ECOWAS Parliament members seek stronger legislative powers to tackle climate crisis
- Current framework limits parliament's role to advisory, hindering accountability
- Strengthening parliament crucial to enable recommendations to carry greater legislative weight
