Article Details

Regional Youth Conference in Saly: Towards the development of an ECOWAS regional youth policy

The opening ceremony of the ECOWAS Regional Conference took place on Tuesday 1 July 2025 in Saly, Senegal. The first of its kind in West Africa, this meeting brought together youth representatives from ECOWAS Member States, policy-makers and regional stakeholders, with the aim of uniting young people around one table to discuss and identify concrete solutions to improve the living conditions of young people in the region. Present at the ceremony, the Commissioner expressed her satisfaction with the young people’s commitment, voicing the hope that they would become an essential resource for the present and future of ECOWAS. In her view, this requires education and training that are aligned with development resources and contemporary challenges. She emphasised the need for an approach based on the co-creation of knowledge and the harmonisation of policy efforts, taking into account the expectations of young people, who are the main beneficiaries of these policies. This dialogue, she said, offers hope not only for young people but also for the region as a whole. She praised the commitment, dynamism and strong determination of young people to build a better future. This regional conference forms part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS. Addressing the young people, Ms Khady Diene GAYE, Minister for Youth, Sport and Culture, encouraged them to become more involved in the implementation of public and regional policies. She congratulated them on their attendance and expressed the hope that this commitment would continue over the long term, for the benefit of the whole community.