Towards An Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) for RAAF and its Projects and Programs

Part of its efforts to strengthen its management and governance tools, RAAF has taken another significant step forward with the development of a draft Climate and Gender Sensitive Environmental and Social Management System. The document was technically reviewed at a workshop held on 12 and 13 March 2026 in Aného, Togo.

In the face of growing climate challenges, the new framework ensures that all agricultural projects led by RAAF shall strictly respect local, national and cross-border ecosystems. At the heart of the system, particular attention was given to the inclusion of women and young people, the pillars of food security in West Africa but often the most vulnerable to environmental and social risks.

One of the main pillars of the system is the strengthening of the Grief Relief Mechanism to make it more robust. The system provides local communities with direct and transparent channels to report any negative impacts, thereby ensuring more sustainable project management. It addresses, amongst other things, issues relating to environmental and social assessment procedures for projects, action plans, organizational capacity, awareness-raising, training as well as stakeholder engagement and continuous sharing of information.

To recall, the importance of the RAAF environmental and social management system is well established. Among other things, it helps to ensure:

• regulatory compliance,
• integration of environmental and social considerations,
• improved project sustainability,
• enhanced stakeholder engagement,
• proactive risk management,
• monitoring and evaluation of impacts, and
• increased trust and legitimacy.

With the adoption of the ESMS, RAAF aligns its procedures with global best practices, notably those of international institutions. The alignment strengthens the Agency’s credibility and its ability to mobilize international funding to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

“The framework is not a mere formality. It is a contract of trust between RAAF and rural communities,” the RAAF Executive Director, Mr. Konlani Kanfitin, said at the opening ceremony. Speaking after Director Konlani, the Director of Environment at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Bernard Koffi, emphasized the importance of the framework, a framework fully compliant with Regulation C/REG.16/12/13 on environmental and social assessment within ECOWAS, adopted in December 2023 and aimed at harmonizing national environmental assessment procedures among Member States and reviewing cross-border environmental and social impact assessments, in addition to national review procedures.

Participants included government technical experts, national environmental assessment bodies and Green Climate Fund focal points, experts from ministries of Environment from ECOWAS Member States, RAAF project coordinators, experts from other ECOWAS agencies and directorates, regional farmers’ organizations and resource persons.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).