West Africa Youth Financing: ECOWAS Ministers Advance Strategic Partnerships, Resource Mobilisation By Raymond Enoch

Ministers responsible for youth, sports and development across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have called for stronger regional cooperation, strategic partnerships and sustainable financing to accelerate the implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda across West Africa.

The ministers stressed that translating regional commitments on youth development, peacebuilding and security into measurable outcomes would require deliberate resource mobilisation, stronger institutional coordination and increased investment in youth-focused initiatives.

The position emerged from a two-day ministerial consultation held in Accra, Ghana, from October 27 to 28, 2026, under the theme, “Advancing Youth, Peace and Security in West Africa: Strengthening Regional Cooperation, Knowledge Sharing and Strategic Partnerships.”

At the consultation, the ministers underscored the need for ECOWAS Member States to move beyond policy commitments and strengthen practical mechanisms that would guarantee the effective implementation of the YPS Agenda.

They identified adequate financing, particularly through increased national budgetary allocations, as a critical requirement for sustaining youth-centred peace and security interventions across the region.

The ministers also emphasised the importance of deepening strategic partnerships, strengthening cooperation among Member States and promoting knowledge-sharing to improve the coordination and delivery of youth development programmes.

A major concern underpinning the consultation was the need to recognise young people not merely as beneficiaries of government policies but as important stakeholders and active contributors to governance, conflict prevention, peacebuilding and regional stability.

The renewed call for sustainable financing places responsibility on governments and regional institutions to create stronger funding frameworks capable of supporting youth participation and ensuring that commitments under the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda translate into tangible benefits.

With the region facing complex peace and security challenges, the ministers’ position reinforces the growing recognition that meaningful youth inclusion, institutional collaboration and predictable financing are essential to building sustainable peace and strengthening West Africa’s development prospects.