The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commenced a multiple-stakeholders advocacy workshop that will protect the rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups in Nigeria, particularly, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three-day workshop, organised by the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to ECOWAS Commission, is aimed at developing mechanisms and policies that can be institutionalised by the Nigerian government to ensure the protection, human security of citizens.
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The participants are senior government officials in charge of International Human Rights Law (IHL), Gender-based Violence (GBV), Trafficking in Person (TIP), Media, as well as representatives of Civil Society Groups (CSO) and other non-state actors.
Declaring the workshop open, the Nigerian Permanent Representative to the ECOWAS, Amb Musa Nuhu, said the workshop is expected to improve human security in the region by building capacities of relevant stakeholders.
“Through increased awareness, coordination and commitment to holistic protection of all persons in vulnerable situations, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Without doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the flaws of the current international order or world system, and the West African region is not spared of its negative effects.
“While the region needs time to recover and build back better, proactive measures must be taken, at all levels, to ensure that the recovery processes are sustainable,” said Makwe Samuel Victor, who represented the ambassador at the event.
He commended the ECOWAS Commission for its proactive initiative, pledging the government’s commitments to the protection and security of citizens.
The Director, Humanitarian and Social Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Sintiki Ugbe, said that the advocacy is a new approach of the ECOWAS Commission to ensure a holistic approach to safeguard citizens of its Member States.
Represented by Hajiya Raheemat Momodu, Head, Human Security and Civil Society Division, ECOWAS Commission, Ugbe said the policies once adopted by the government will create a more precise roadmap for implementation.
Ugbe said, “This is the fifth country that ECOWAS is undertaking this advocacy and capacity building. It is new advocacy bringing together multiple stakeholders who share the mandate of creating and strengthening protection.
“It aims at bringing as many stakeholders as possible that have shared responsibilities to deliver on protection and human security of the individual.”
Ugbe said that the second component of the intervention will follow the advocacy workshop where recommendations from experts will be taken to the highest level of government.
She said that for the Nigerian government, it will be taken to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Mr Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS commended the Commission for its timely intervention, noting that now more than ever a lot has to be done to guarantee human security.
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