Oxfam’s Programs Manager for Accountable Governance, Mahamud Mohammed, has advocated for the creation of a youth parliament within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The creation of an ECOWAS youth parliament has been a long time coming, with various organizations advocating for its establishment over the years.
Organizations like The West Africa Youth Alliance (WAYA), The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), and the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) have been at the forefront of this movement, with support from OXFAM in Ghana.
While progress has been made, the creation of a dedicated ECOWAS youth parliament remains an ongoing effort. As organizations continue to advocate for its establishment, it’s clear that the voices of young people in West Africa will play an increasingly important role in shaping the region’s future.
Speaking to Starrfm.com.gh, Mr. Mohammed explained that a consultative meeting was held at Mensvic Hotel in East Legon, Accra, to bring together young people and authorities from ECOWAS countries. The meeting aimed to discuss the creation of an ECOWAS youth parliament, a platform that would amplify the voices of young people in decision-making processes.
“The purpose of the meeting is basically to bring together young people in West African countries, together with their authorities or youth organizations, to think together about the need to create an ECOWAS youth parliament along the ECOWAS parliament structure.
The ECOWAS youth parliament, for us, is seen as an important institution because the young people are the majority in terms of the population, and we also think that they have voices that matter. This process would not be easy if we do not talk and walk together, and if we do not do things as one,” he noted.
He continued, ”The purpose of the meeting is to consult widely across the West African region to come out with a roadmap that we can implement to get the youth parliament established by ECOWAS.”
The alliance believes that the ECOWAS youth parliament, when established, will be intentional about building and mentoring young people to understand the value of diversity and how to galvanize their differences into a collective power for influence and development of the region.
