The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized a five-day workshop to raise awareness and deepen the knowledge of young people and Ghanaian students in the southern belt of the country on the protocols of ECOWAS.
The initiative aims to offer an opportunity for state and non-state actors to appreciate the pivotal role ECOWAS plays in the development and integration of the sub-region and Africa.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop held at the University of Cape Coast, the Coordinating Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mrs. Perpetual Dufu emphasized the critical need for member states to unite against political instability.
“While discontent towards ECOWAS is paramount, now more than ever there is a pressing need for member states to unite despite the hurdles, we must persevere.”
To her, upholding peace, security and economic stability in the region remains paramount and Ghanaians must stand as a pillar of stability preventing any form of instability.
She highlighted the benefits of various ECOWAS protocols and youth policies implemented to foster youth development.
Notably among the benefits, she emphasized that the various ECOWAS protocols which address shared challenges and objectives have facilitated free movement across borders and expanded market access for trade and investment.
Additionally, she explained that the ECOWAS protocols in agreement with democracy and good governance, foster political stability and accountability within the member states.
Ambassador Perpetual Dufu further stressed the importance of nurturing youth leadership to cultivate the skills and knowledge necessary for Ghana’s future.
“It must be noted that Ghana’s interest remains aligned with the ECOWAS commission. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration will continue to collaborate with ECOWAS member states to address these ongoing challenges. We are convinced that our collective efforts will lead us to prevail.”
“Although ECOWAS appears to be a committee of heads of states, it is an ECOWAS of citizens and that identifies the youth as an important part of the world population, emphasizing your pivotal role in shaping the future,” she intimated.
The head of policy coordinating, monitoring, and evaluation at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Mohammed Saani Adams spoke on the achievements, prospects, and challenges of the ECOWAS youth policy.
Key among them, he mentioned is the participation of the youth.
“You cannot do anything that you think will benefit the youth if the youth is not part that is colonization… we have indicated that we are going to struggle for quota for the youth in every sector of the economy…”
He therefore encouraged youth involvement at the policy level and emphasized the need for Ghana to invest more resources in youth development.
The five-day workshop that began February 26, 2024, aimed to inform participants about ECOWAS’s new vision, titled “ECOWAS for Peoples, Peace, and Prosperity for All,” spans from 2020 to 2050.
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Source: Angelina Riley Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
