By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Oxfam in Nigeria and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have engaged the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, on strengthening collaboration in peace, security, climate justice, and regional integration.
The delegation, led by Oxfam’s Country Director in Nigeria, Mr. John Makina, and CISLAC’s Executive Director, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, presented a joint strategy for deeper civil society engagement with ECOWAS.
Makina described inequality in West Africa as a crisis requiring urgent solutions, warning that the region faces some of the worst inequality levels in Africa.
He commended ECOWAS for prioritising rural integration and inclusive development, stressing Oxfam’s commitment to work closely with the Commission to address inequality, climate justice, and governance concerns.
He revealed that Oxfam, in partnership with CISLAC and other regional organisations, has developed a 2024–2029 strategy document aimed at guiding engagement with ECOWAS and securing stronger support for inclusive growth across West Africa.
Rafsanjani, on his part, underscored that tackling economic inequality in Nigeria is essential for sustainable development.
He highlighted CISLAC’s focus on human rights, social justice, and poverty eradication, stressing the need to build what he called a “human economy” that prioritises people over profit.
He further disclosed that CISLAC will launch its 8th Annual SDG 16 Shadow Report during the United Nations General Assembly.
The report independently tracks Nigeria’s progress on peace, justice, and strong institutions, providing a tool for accountability to policymakers, partners, and citizens.
Reaffirming support for the ECOWAS Vision 2050, Rafsanjani emphasized the importance of addressing regional security challenges, promoting political stability, and ensuring credible elections that build trust in governance.
In his remarks, Dr. Touray welcomed the engagement, describing civil society as vital partners in driving regional integration, peace, and security.
He stressed that “our people are one, and no one can divide us,” while urging civil society to intensify public sensitisation on both rights and responsibilities of citizens.
The ECOWAS President warned about the growing threat of disinformation and deep fakes, noting that weak education systems often fuel the spread of false narratives.
He called for stronger collaboration among governments, civil society, and the media to counter misinformation.
Dr. Touray also highlighted climate justice as central to addressing conflicts such as the farmer-herder crisis, assuring Oxfam and CISLAC of ECOWAS’ readiness to deepen partnership on initiatives that promote peace, development, and regional integration.
