West Africa needs to redouble efforts to emerge successfully from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on June 16.

"The health and security crises in our region have adversely affected our economies and populations, making it necessary for us to redouble our efforts and work together to address the new challenges arising from these crises," said President of the ECOWAS Commission Jean-Claude Kassi Brou at the opening of the 86th Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.

In addition to the health crisis, insecurity in West Africa also "remains a real obstacle to development," Brou said.

Brou was, however, hopeful that with the ongoing institutional reforms, as well as operational projects and programs underway, the sub-regional bloc would be able to deal with those challenges.