ECOWAS collaborates with partners on advancing youth peace initiatives

In conjunction with the African Union, the ECOWAS Commission is working with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung to advance the cause of youth, peace, and security in West Africa. This collaboration aims to enable young people to understand the Youth for Peace (Y4P) agenda and develop their National Action Plans.

The Y4P Africa program seeks to effectively engage, involve, and collaborate with young women and men as well as organized youth groups in promoting peace and security on the continent.

Youth and stakeholders from the region are meeting in Abuja, Nigeria from July 11-12, 2024, to jointly create durable building blocks for peace and youth empowerment under the theme "Promoting Meaningful Youth Participation in the Development and Implementation of National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security in West Africa."

Participants will examine roles and contributions of youth to peace and security in Africa as well as country updates. They will also evaluate stakeholders' roles in developing and implementing National Action Plans (NAPs).

At the opening of the meeting, Senegalese ambassador to Nigeria HE Nicolas Nyouky emphasized giving greater traction to the youth agenda. He was supported by Lukas Kupfernagel (KAS AU) and Simone Mbode Diouf of African Youth Ambassador for Peace (AYAP).

Mr. Constant Gnacadja, Ag Head of Division at ECOWAS Commission who stood in for Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security stressed the importance of integrating youth into governance architecture for overall regional development. “We cannot do anything without the youth,” he stated.

Gnacadja highlighted reenergizing ECOWAS’s youth programs including plans for a second edition of a youth boot camp focused on initiatives like Youth, Peace, and Security agenda.

The Y4P Africa Programme was launched in September 2018 in Lagos as part of efforts aligned with Article 17 of AU Youth Charter among other resolutions. To facilitate effective coordination, an Inter-Departmental Task Force on Youth Peace and Security has been established within PSD.