ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN) Holds three Day Conflict Prevention Capacity Workshop in Abuja, Nigeria. By Raymond Enoch
The ECOWAS Commission today launched a three-day Annual Capacity Building Workshop for Field Monitors of the ECOWAS Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN) in Abuja, Nigeria, with the goal of sharpening their early warning and conflict prevention capabilities.
The workshop which runs from 23rd to 25th April, 2025, focuses on enhancing the field monitors’ reporting accuracy, understanding of ECOWARN indicators, and ability to interpret social media signals amid rising concerns over misinformation and regional instability.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Vice President, H.E. Mrs. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, the Acting Director of the Early Warning Directorate, Dr. Onyinye Nkechi Onwuka, emphasized the importance of the workshop in addressing new and emerging challenges in the region.
“This training has been strategically designed to build our monitors’ capacity in key areas like event-type parameters, evolving indicators, and disinformation protocols,” Dr. Onwuka stated. “It is vital that we stay ahead of trends that could signal instability across West Africa.”
The workshop also includes advanced sessions on social media analytics, giving monitors tools to detect early signs of unrest and better inform decision-making across ECOWAS member states.
The event underscores ECOWAS’s commitment to a proactive approach in sustaining peace, stability, and security in the region through a well-equipped early warning system.
