The highest political and decision making body is the Nile Equatorial Lakes Council of Ministers (NEL-COM), comprised of Ministers in charge of Water Affairs in the Member States.
Roles and Responsibilities of the NEL-COM
- Approve annual work plan and budget
- Ensure smooth implementation of Nile Equatorial Lakes Council of Ministers’s activities
- Ensure government contribution from Member Countries as well as external support agencies and NGOs
- Appoint and terminate the services of the Regional Coordinator on recommendation of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Technical Advisory Committee
- Take all policy and political decisions of the organization
- Approve the filling of other senior posts by the Nile Technical Advisory Committee
Members:
Chairperson

Prof. Dr. Hani Sewilam
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt
H.E Madame. Eve Bazaiba Masudi Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, DR Congo

Hon. Eng. Daw Albait Abdulrahman Mansour, (Acting) Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, the Sudan Republic / Undersecretary in the Transitional Government

Hon. Sam Cheptoris,
Minister of Water and Environment, Uganda
The NEL-COM is supported by the Nile Equatarial Lakes Technical Advisory Committee (NEL-TAC), comprised of 20 senior government officials, two from each of the Member States.
Roles and Responsibilities of the NEL-TAC
- Offer technical support and advice to the Nile Council of Ministers on matters related to the management and development of the Nile waters.
- Act as an interface between the NEL-COM and development partners, and between NEL-COM and the Secretariat, programmes and projects of the NBI.
- Provide oversight of the Secretariat on programmatic activities, on behalf of NEL-COM