Around 100 participants, representing 50 different organizations around Nigeria, attended the General Assembly of Partners of the Country Water Partnership of Nigeria held on 14 February 2013. The General Assembly was opened by the Minister of Water Resources Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, also co-Chair of AMCOW for West Africa, who urged GWP Nigeria to strengthen and expand their activities towards achieving adequate management of water resource in the country.
Regional priorities in groundwater management in West Africa are knowledge; environmental, social and economic aspects; irrigation and climate change; dialogue and communication; management and institutional aspects; and capacity building/improving competence.
Collaboration among West African countries has led to the development of IWRM action plans in Togo, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, and IWRM roadmaps in Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.
Mining is an important industry in West Africa. It contributes to economic and social development, but it also disrupts the natural and human balance, raising questions about the risk it poses to communities living near mining sites.
‒ Launching of a Strategic Framework at Africa Water Week 2012
In an effort to address the twin challenges of water security and climate change, the African Ministers Council on Water launched The Strategic Framework for Water Security and Climate Resilient Development on May 14, 2012, at the Africa Water Week, in Cairo, Egypt.
‒ Launching of a Strategic Framework at Africa Water Week 2012
In an effort to address the twin challenges of water security and climate change, the African Ministers Council on Water launched The Strategic Framework for Water Security and Climate Resilient Development on May 14, 2012, at the Africa Water Week, in Cairo, Egypt.
Benin and the Netherlands signed a four year Memorandum of Understanding on water and pledged to establish a "technical advisory platform" with GWP Benin and the Netherlands Water Partnership playing the role of secretariat for the platform for 2012-2015. The MOU was signed by Mr. Ben Knapen, Dutch Minister for European and International Cooperation and Mr. Jonas Gbian, Beninese Minister in charge of water on Thursday, January 12, 2012.
“This Partnership is very important and its implementation should support Gambia in the sustainable management of its water resources ... The government and my department will provide all necessary support to do so,” said Mrs Fatou Sosseh Jallow, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Minister in charge of water of the Gambia at the official ceremony establishing GWP Gambia on 20 December 2011.
GWP Benin was established a little over ten years ago. In recent years, it has been credited with helping to steer the new Water Law through parliament (2010), promote acceptance of the Water Policy (2009), and campaign for the national IWRM Plan among the country's water stakeholders (2011).
The Gambia officially launched a new Country Water Partnership (CWP) in 2011, joining the other 12 West African CWPs that have been formed since the beginning of GWP's activities in West Africa. Now, all countries in the region except Liberia and Sierra Leone have set up a CWP.