The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), in collaboration with ECOWAS and other development partners, has organized the maiden regional conference on sustainable participation of youth In governance in the ECOWAS region.

The event, held in Ghana from May 7-9, 2025, was themed “Harnessing Youth Agency in Deepening Democratic Governance and Inclusive Development.” The gathering sought to promote youth-led initiatives and develop pragmatic interventions relevant to amplifying innovations and strengthening their inclusion in governance structures across the subregion.

The conference brought together youth leaders, policymakers, civil society actors, and development partners to develop strategies driven and owned by the youth and inform needed reforms at the Commission.

The event, which also brought together some participants of the first cohort of the WADEMOS Next Gen initiative, aimed to forge a more inclusive development agenda and seek the views of the youth to improve the workings of the regional bloc.

Some of the Next Gen Fellows shared governance lessons from their countries and their experiences in activism with the participants while calling on ECOWAS to increase and amplify support for youth-led innovations across West Africa.

WADEMOS Network Coordinator Paul Osei-Kuffour also moderated some sessions and focused on documenting the views and opinions of participants.