By Rhoda Okoh and George Dotimi
Member states Ambassadors of the Republics of Togo, Benin, Senegal, and Cabo Verde have been charged to support the implementation of the ECOWAS Early Warning and Response System by creating a National Task Force in their respective countries to ensure its full operationalization.
The Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission Damtien Tchintchibidja gave the charge while briefing the ambassadors in Abuja.
She said the task force will work in tandem with the ECOWAS Commission to establish a National Centre, stressing that they will receive technical, analytical, and operational assistance from the Regional Early Warning and Response Centre.
The core objective of the briefing is to charge the ambassadors to support their respective Member states in creating a National Task Force, which will work in tandem with the ECOWAS Commission to establish a National Centre. This National Centre will receive technical, analytical, and operational assistance from the Regional Early Warning and Response Centre. ECOWAS and its Member States must collaborate for success
The essence is to tackle misconceptions about the goals of the Regional Early Warning and Response Mechanism, even as the Ambassadors strongly urged ECOWAS to develop a comprehensive Communication Strategy and Plan to enhance public knowledge and ensure the effective dissemination of accurate information about the initiative.
However, a total of 11 National Centers are fully operational in the region, working in synergy with the Regional Early Warning Centre based in Abuja.