Eight ECOWAS countries to include Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, and Liberia had received $245,000 each on Thursday amounting to$1.96 million from Economic Community of West African States Gender Development Centre to address fistula disorder.
The presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries was one of the highlights of the 91st Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Abuja.
According to United States Agency for International Development (USAID), 13,000 new cases of fistula are reported in Nigeria annually, and up to 400,000 women are waiting to receive corrective surgery.
Yusuf Tuggar, Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers who is also Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that Gross Domestic Product and revenue generation have impacted on the region by the current economic difficulties; as such the council would discuss the community’s budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
“We have to be aware of the current financial and economic issues that our sub-region is facing, including depreciating currencies, rising food costs, and inflation, all of which have a negative impact on our economies.
“These difficulties have affected our GDP, income creation, and especially the community levy mobilisation, as a result of the depreciation of some of our major currencies, mainly the Naira and Cedi, in relation to the US Dollar.
“Therefore, we must support the recommendations of the Administration and Finance Committee on enhancing prudence, as well as the efforts of the President of the Commission and other Heads of the Institutions on blocking leakages to ensure judicious use of our meagre resources,” Tuggar said.
In a remark, ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Touray, explained that sufficient funding is required for ECOWAS to address the issues facing the area and expressed regret over sanctioned member states ceasing to remit levies.
