The regional bloc, ECOWAS, underscores a need to mainstream youth activities in development for inclusiveness.
By Lewis S. Teh
Monrovia, Liberia, March 27, 2025- The ECOWAS Ambassador to Liberia, Madam Josephine Nkrumah, urges member states to introduce programs aimed at transforming youths across Africa.
“And therefore, my strong advocacy these days, when I speak with relevant stakeholders to youth empowerment, is about beginning a trend of youth-mainstreaming in all our policies, in all our agenda for development. That, I think, would begin to bridge the gap where your voices will be heard and where we can tap into the vast potentials that you have”, Amb. Nkrumah tells youths of Liberia.
She made the urge Wednesday, March 26, 2025, while addressing ECOWAS volunteer programs university debate championship for several university students.
She reiterates her commitment to youth empowerment, saying “The youths, for me, are a potent force for good. In today’s world, oftentimes when we talk about youth peace and security, people look at it in terms of conflict, but also they look at it in terms of how we can begin to plug the youths into a grand developmental agenda for an ECOWAS that we want.”
According to her, theme for the occasion, “Shaping ECOWAS at 50; shaping the future of what we do in 2050”, youth empowerment and tackling regional challenges couldn’t have come at a better time, because the youth of ECOWAS form the largest demographic of all the region’s population. “And so your voice must be heard. Your voice must be listened to, and you should have a seat at the table.”
“Every time we talk about women’s empowerment, gender mainstreaming, women empowerment, or gender mainstreaming in all sectors of our national development, but I also believe in youth mainstreaming in all our sectors of development”, she says and adds,
“But if you don’t mainstream the youth to tap into their potential, to understand their aspirations, but also more importantly, to build an interconnected society where you don’t have the youth on one side, the rulers or leaders on another side, we cannot shape the kind of ECOWAS that we want.”
Ambassador Nkrumah reminds the students that if ECOWAS member states are looking to having grand agenda for a youth, then it means that right from now, their voices must be heard in very clear terms, but at the same time warns young people that if they do not know what you want, and begin to make informed decisions, it means that they’re not meeting halfway what is expected of them.
The volunteers’ program, according to her, provides an opportunity for youths to speak out and make their voices hear.
“Youth focus is important. I know there are some of you here who have a certain perception about ECOWAS, something that, for instance, with the breakaway of some of our member states, ECOWAS is not doing well enough.”
She explains that there are three arms of ECOWAS: the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Parliament, and the ECOWAS Court. “Now these three arms of government are governed by decisions that are taken by our political leaders, who sit as the Head, the authority of ECOWAS.”
“And year by year, we choose a chairman from amongst the various member states. Sometimes when people criticize ECOWAS, I say it’s a criticism of all of us. Because the decisions and the actions that ECOWAS Commission takes is based on the decisions that our leaders make.
And so if our leaders make decisions that does not sit well with the society, then we have a challenge. And that is what transitioned ECOWAS from an ECOWAS of the people, sorry, from an ECOWAS of states to an ECOWAS of the people”, she adds.
The ECOWAS Youth Volunteer program is a regional initiative by ECOWAS which is aimed at promoting volunteerism and regional integration within West Africa. Editing by Jonathan Browne
