get latest news from West Africa

The Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) and the Government of Ghana, led by the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, has launched the Akosombo Loss and Damage Funding Programme (AkoLAD).
The programme is a targeted initiative designed to support communities affected by climate-induced flooding and strengthen long-term resilience.
It forms part of the broader V20 Loss and Damage Funding Programme, and is financed through the Global Shield Financing Window of the CVF-V20 Joint Multi-Donor Fund (JMDF), with a contribution from the Government of Wallonia.
AkoLAD is implemented in partnership with CARE Denmark and national partners.
In a statement issued by the CVF-V20 Secretariat, Mr Issifu Seidu, the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, said the launch of the program was a powerful statement that frontline communities would not be left alone to bear the cost of a crisis they did not create.
“It transforms the bitter lessons of the 2023 spillage into a blueprint for resilience,” he added.
He said this was more than just recovery but about delivering climate justice and equipping frontline communities to build back not just what was lost, but a stronger, more climate-smart infrastructure.
The Minister said as a member of the CVF-V20 Troika, they were immensely grateful for the support from the Government of Wallonia for this much needed and timely initiative.
His Excellency Mohamed Nasheed, the Secretary-General of CVF-V20, said the Akosombo Dam spillage highlighted the growing climate pressures on critical infrastructure and communities, reinforcing the urgent need for risk management, adaptation and addressing loss and damage.
“Through AkoLAD, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting those most vulnerable and ensuring that recovery efforts build sustainable livelihoods and long-term resilience,” he stressed.
The Secretary-General, who was also a former president of the Republic of Maldives, said AkoLAD was a one-year initiative, restoring what communities had lost while reinforcing their capacity to withstand future climate shocks.
He said it emphasised locally-led, climate-resilient rebuilding, aligning with CVF-V20 priorities of accelerating frontline adaptation, strengthening systems resilience, and ensuring financial support reaches affected populations rapidly and transparently.
He said a sum of $1 million had been allocated from the CVF-V20 Joint Multi-Donor Fund for this initiative, with contribution from the Government of Wallonia.
“The Fund, jointly managed by the CVF–V20 Secretariat and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), is designed to advance climate prosperity, promote South–South cooperation, and scale up action on adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and loss and damage,” he added.
Key outcomes expected under AkoLAD include restoration of physical and livelihood assets, restoration of community infrastructure, and increase in community resilience to future flooding.
Ghana was the previous chair of CVF-V20, which today counts 74 member countries representing 1.81 billion people.
The CVF was founded in 2009 and in 2015 it established its sister association, the V20 Group of Finance Ministers.
Source: GNA