Jane Salihu
A member of the Guinea-Bissau delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Manuel Nascimento Lopes, has called for stronger environmental awareness and action across West Africa, warning that continued destruction of the environment could expose future generations to worsening floods, displacement and insecurity.
Nascimento Lopes made the call as the ECOWAS Parliament set to commence its second parliamentary seminar of 2026 in Accra, Ghana, with lawmakers examining the growing effects of climate change and environmental degradation across the sub-region.
The seminar, which is to be held under the theme: “Climate Change, a Factor in Environmental Degradation, Displacement of Populations and Increasing Insecurity in the ECOWAS Space.”
Speaking after an ad hoc committee meeting which considered the preliminary budget review for 2026 and the annual draft work plan for 2027, the Guinea-Bissau lawmaker welcomed the Parliament’s focus on environmental challenges.
He described the seminar as timely, noting that climate-related disasters, including flooding and other extreme weather events, were increasingly affecting communities in different parts of the world.
According to him, African countries, particularly those within the West African region, must take environmental protection more seriously and develop practical measures to preserve their ecosystems.
> “We need to protect our environment as Africans, as West Africans. We need to give exemplary ideas to the younger generation,” he said.
Nascimento Lopes stressed that environmental protection should not be limited to government policies, arguing that younger generations must be taught from an early age to see environmental preservation as part of their everyday lives.
> “If we do not teach them how to preserve our environment, it will be very difficult for them to inculcate that as their way of life,” he added.
The lawmaker also drew attention to the impact of illegal activities on land and the wider ecological system in the sub-region, warning that continued degradation could have serious consequences for communities in the years ahead.
He said the destruction of land and other environmental resources was already contributing to problems such as flooding and the submergence of houses in vulnerable communities.
> “What will happen to us in the next 10 to 20 years? We see houses submerging and flooding all around,” he asked.
He therefore urged lawmakers and governments across ECOWAS member states to treat environmental protection as a long-term regional priority, rather than responding only after disasters occur.
The discussions at the Accra seminar are expected to provide an opportunity for parliamentarian to examine the relationship between climate change, environmental degradation, population displacement and insecurity, as well as consider measures that could strengthen regional responses to the challenges.
