By Precious D. Freeman
The Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Ansu Dulleh, has returned to Liberia following his participation in the Mid-term Consultation Meeting of the Regional Committee for Disaster Management in West Africa (GECEAO).
Held from May 20–24 in Accra, Ghana, the high-level meeting convened disaster management leaders from across the ECOWAS region to assess and advance strategies for preparedness, response, and resilience against natural and human-induced disasters.
Upon his return, Director Dulleh reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to proactive disaster risk reduction, advocating for greater investment in early warning systems, enhanced technical cooperation, and improved response mechanisms at both national and community levels.
“As climate change intensifies and disaster risks grow, it is our responsibility to ensure that the Liberian people are protected through proactive planning and collaboration,” Dulleh emphasized
He expressed gratitude to ECOWAS and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for their technical and financial support in organizing the consultation.
He further reaffirmed the NDMA’s resolve to implement the insights gained to strengthen Liberia’s own disaster management systems.
GECEAO, established in 2009, serves as a strategic platform to coordinate disaster preparedness and response efforts among ECOWAS member states.
This year’s mid-term consultation reviewed progress since the last regional meeting in Niamey, Niger, in 2023, with a focus on validating a draft ECOWAS Recovery Roadmap and Roster of Experts tools intended to boost regional coordination in times of crisis.
“The meeting was essential to reaffirm our shared vision for disaster resilience in the sub-region,” Dulleh said. “It allowed us to evaluate our response systems, align our priorities, and reaffirm Liberia’s role in advancing collective disaster management goals.”
Deliberations in Accra included plenary sessions, working groups, and interactive discussions centered on emergency preparedness, regional coordination, and community-based resilience.
Participants also adopted a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework to track implementation of the roadmap and facilitate technical partnerships.
The event brought together heads of national disaster agencies from ECOWAS states, regional bodies such as CILSS and UEMOA, international partners, civil society organizations, and grassroots actors reflecting a broad coalition committed to addressing regional vulnerabilities.
As the West African region continues to face challenges such as recurrent flooding, disease outbreaks, and climate-related hazards, the outcomes of the GECEAO mid-term meeting are expected to inform a more harmonized and timely regional response.
Director Dulleh’s return marks a renewed focus on localizing regional strategies and advancing Liberia’s national disaster preparedness and resilience-building agenda.
