The Operational Plan and the ECOWAS Framework on Social Protection have been approved and certified by the ECOWAS Ministers in charge of social protection on November 24, 2023 in Banjul. Ministers from Ecowas largely acknowledge the move as a major turning point in the region’s efforts to provide inclusive and comprehensive social protection.

Member states are required to follow the ECOWAS Framework on Social Protection and its Operational Plan while creating, implementing, overseeing, and assessing inclusive national social protection programs. For the benefit of West African communities, it is a unified and cogent structure that complies with the ECOWAS mandates for constructing strong and long-lasting social protection systems connected to the more comprehensive development plans.

Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, emphasized the importance of the meeting and called for more regional funding for social protection, reiterating its dual roles as an economic necessity that can raise the standard of living for ECOWAS citizens and a fundamental human right. Professor Sow Sarr made a connection between the creation of the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and the organization’s goal of establishing an inclusive, sustainable development, strong institutions, and a peaceful and prosperous region by way of the ECOWAS Vision 2050.

As the host of the Ministers meeting, The Gambia is grateful to all of the participating Ministers for their faith and confidence, said H.E. Muhammad B.S. Jallow, Vice President of The Republic of The Gambia. The Vice President, H.E. Jallow, underlined the significance of the Operational Plan and the ECOWAS Social Protection Structure as a unified and cohesive framework that complies with ECOWAS mandates. H.E. Jallow provided examples of the specific actions the government has made in this area and emphasized The Gambia’s adherence to international declarations on social security and human rights.

The outcome of the deliberations of the Experts’ meeting was presented to the Hon. Ministers which was followed by the sharing of national experiences and best practices in implementing social protection schemes. The Ministers unanimously committed to support the implementation of the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational.

The ECOWAS area is susceptible to different shocks and associated cross-border difficulties, according to Dr. Betta C. Edu, the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who presided over the deliberations. He emphasized that regional cooperation to improve current social protection systems would be fostered by the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational Plan. Additionally, the Framework would improve a more logical and successful strategy for eradicating food and nutrition insecurity and reducing poverty (SDG 1). (SDG 2).

Ms. Mariavittoria Ballotta, the UNICEF Representative in The Gambia, urged all development partners to collaborate and coordinate social security programs throughout the region by using the ECOWAS Social Plan Framework as a foundation.

The need of social protection in changing agri-food systems to become effective, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable was emphasized by Dr. Robert Guei, the FAO Coordinator for West Africa.