WAJESHA Urges Urgent Action as Environmental Crisis Deepens Across West Africa

 

Abuja, June 7, 2026— The West African Journalists on Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (WAJESHA) has called for urgent and collective action to address the worsening environmental challenges facing West Africa, warning that the region is approaching a critical ecological tipping point.

In a special editorial published to mark the 2026 World Environment Day, WAJESHA described environmental degradation across the region as a “man-made emergency” requiring immediate intervention from governments, corporations, civil society organisations, journalists and citizens.

The organisation highlighted a range of threats confronting West African countries, including climate change, deforestation, flooding, plastic pollution, air contamination, water pollution, illegal mining and biodiversity loss. According to the editorial, communities across the region are already experiencing the devastating consequences of environmental decline, from food insecurity and displacement to health crises and economic hardship.

WAJESHA noted that climate change remains one of the greatest threats to the region, citing the rapid expansion of the Sahara Desert, the shrinking of Lake Chad, and increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns that have disrupted farming and livelihoods across several countries.

The editorial also expressed concern over the alarming rate of deforestation in West Africa, warning that forest loss is accelerating climate change, reducing agricultural productivity, and increasing communities’ vulnerability to floods and erosion.

On pollution, WAJESHA pointed to mounting waste management challenges, particularly the proliferation of single-use plastics and weak recycling systems. The organisation further warned about deteriorating air quality in major cities such as Lagos, Accra and Abidjan, where pollution levels frequently exceed international safety standards.

The editorial drew attention to the environmental and public health consequences of illegal mining activities in countries including Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Mali, as well as decades of oil pollution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. It said these activities have contaminated water sources, destroyed ecosystems and undermined the livelihoods of millions of people.

WAJESHA criticised what it described as a persistent gap between environmental commitments and implementation by governments across the region. While acknowledging efforts such as reforestation programmes, renewable energy investments and climate-related policy initiatives, the organisation argued that enforcement of environmental laws remains weak and inconsistent.

The group also stressed the importance of environmental journalism in exposing ecological crimes and holding governments and corporations accountable. It said journalists play a critical role in documenting environmental abuses and translating scientific findings into information that can drive public action and policy reform.

As part of its recommendations, WAJESHA advocated greater investment in renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, forest restoration, recycling programmes, green jobs and stronger environmental law enforcement. The organisation also called for increased support for youth-led climate initiatives and community-based environmental management.

Concluding the editorial, WAJESHA urged governments across West Africa to move beyond policy pledges and deliver measurable environmental results, while calling on corporations, journalists and citizens to play active roles in safeguarding the region’s natural resources.

“The land is crying. Africa must answer,” the organisation declared, warning that the future of West Africa’s environment depends on choices made today.