The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) in partnership with the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), West Africa Youth Alliance (WAYA) and Youth Hub Africa has held the 2nd Regional Consultative meeting for the establishment of an ECOWAS Youth Parliament (EYP) in Abuja, Nigeria.
The consultative meeting was held from 28th to 29th March 2025 at the Exclusive Serene Hotel and supported by OXFAM in Ghana. The meeting brought together youth parliament representatives and stakeholders from Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, The Gambia and Nigeria.
The 2nd consultative meeting was a follow-up to the initial engagement held in Ghana with Youth Development Agencies including Youth Councils, Ministries of Youth and CSOs from 9 ECOWAS states in December 2024.
The objective of the Regional Consultative Meeting is to deepen the collective action of the youth in the sub-region to influence the establishment of EYP as a safe democratic space for youth involvement in political governance; and provide a platform for co-creation and improve ownership of the EYP conceptual framework.
In his opening remarks, the Minister for Youth Development (Nigeria), represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Marwan Gwamba, noted that the active engagement of young people remains indispensable in shaping a more inclusive, democratic, and prosperous region.
He added that the establishment of an ECOWAS Youth Parliament is a significant step in ensuring that the voices of young people are not only heard but also translated into meaningful policies and actions that drive regional development. He concluded with a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to supporting youth-led initiatives that align with the broader ECOWAS agenda.
The Executive Director of FOSDA, Theodora Williams Anti, noted that the consultative meeting is part of a broader engagement strategy targeting key stakeholders aside the ECOWAS Leadership. She added that it is important for young stakeholders across ECOWAS member states to be aware of the ECOWAS Youth Parliament initiative and make inputs to the conceptual framework as well as advocacy processes.
She was of the view that this can contribute to wider engagement at regional and country level engagement with leadership of ECOWAS parliament and the ECOWAS Commission to influence the full adoption and implementation of the ECOWAS Youth Parliament. She also called on all well-meaning organisations and individuals across the region to support the vision and make it a reality.
Rotimi Olawale, the Executive Director of YouthHubAfrica emphasised the need for an ECOWAS youth parliament due to limited spaces for young people’s participation and inclusion in governance and leadership within the sub-region and continent at large.
Among other activities, the plenary examined the status of the members states Youth Parliaments; Stakeholder Mapping; Interaction with the EYP Conceptual Framework; Resource mobilization strategies; conduct of a SWOT Analysis for the EYP and drafting of country and regional level road map for the realisation of the EYP.
