Policy brief on Environmental Governance in West Africa uses OCRI Investigations as case study
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, OCRI’s Anglophone Africa partner, hosted a stakeholder dialogue and policy brief presentation on 22 July using OCRI-supported investigations as case studies in the publication. The first draft of the policy brief titled Environmental Governance in West Africa – Focus on The Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria offered insights into the state of environmental governance in the sub-region (specifically in The Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria) by assessing institutional strengths and weaknesses, policy implementation gaps, and opportunities for reform.
Seven of the ten OCRI-supported Anglophone Africa stories published in 2025 formed part of the resources used in a comparative analysis study undertaken in the policy brief to gauge policy responses and gaps. The stories and publication showed how escalating threats from climate change, land degradation, deforestation, and pollution, is adversely affecting communities and livelihoods.
In his remarks during the event, OCRI’s Project Manager, Adeolu Adekola set the tone by drawing on the OCRI’s footprints in the region while also highlighting how the policy brief is a fulfillment of a part of OCRI’s objective – enabling thoroughly researched public interest reporting and evidence-based advocacy. Akintunde Babatunde, OCRI’s Anglophone Africa Regional Coordinator and CJID’s Executive Director also emphasised the need to strengthen climate accountability and environmental justice across Africa.
The policy brief highlighted the need for urgent, effective, inclusive, and accountable environmental governance mechanisms based on the following recommendations:
- Strengthen Regional and International Cooperation
- Strengthen Institutional Coordination and Capacity
- Enhance Enforcement of Environmental Regulations
- Promote Community-Based and Inclusive Governance Models
- Improve Data, Transparency, and Access to Information
