We are excited to announce that the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) has partnered with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to create a regional Community of Practice for the Youth Engagement in Reform Project (YERP). This regional community aims to support young leaders and activists across Anglophone and Francophone West Africa to engage in reform processes in their respective countries.

The program kickedoff with a lively and insightful launch on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, bringing together over 50 participants and resource persons from NDI and CDD-Ghana, including Dr. Chris Formunyoh, Dr. Kojo Asant,e and Dr. Sophia Moestrup.

The NGI YERP program is designed to include a series of virtual gatherings and technical training sessions led by experts on priority topics identified by the participants themselves. The community of practice will foster mutual support across national borders and allow for an exchange of best practices and lessons learned. Selected participants would also convene in Abuja, Nigeria, for an in-person symposium.

The NGI YERP Community of Practice builds on WADEMOS’ Next Generation Initiative (NGI), which brought together 15 young people from across West Africa for a mentorship program on democracy and good governance, and NDI’s three-year youth leadership in electoral reform program in Nigeria. The Community of Practice for young pro-democracy leaders and activists in the West African region aims to foster collective action and help expand their political organizing and advocacy efforts around reforms at the national and regional levels.

The platform will allow participants to develop a regional engagement strategy and create content that increases the visibility of their actions and inspires the positive political participation of youth in democratic processes, including reform.

The NGI YERP Community of Practice is expected to exist beyond the seven-month life cycle of the training sessions.