ECOWAS Lays the Foundations for a New Regional Vision for Sport, Youth and Volunteering

From 27 to 31 July 2026, Dakar hosted a strategic meeting focused on the future of sport, youth and volunteering in West Africa. Organized by the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre, the event brought together experts, government representatives, development partners and ministers to review and adopt major regional policy frameworks aimed at strengthening human capital development. 
 
The meeting comes at a time when West Africa faces significant demographic, economic and social challenges. With a rapidly growing youth population, Member States are seeking new ways to expand opportunities for education, employment, civic engagement and social inclusion. 
 
Discussions focused on three key strategic documents: the ECOWAS Youth Policy and Strategic Action Plan 2026-2035, the ECOWAS Sports Policy and Strategic Action Plan 2026-2035, and the Strategic Policy Framework for the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme. 
 
These frameworks are intended to empower young people, strengthen sport as a tool for peace, social cohesion and economic development, and reinforce volunteering as a mechanism for regional integration and solidarity. 
 
For the sport-for-development sector, this represents an important milestone. It reflects growing institutional recognition of sport’s contribution to education, inclusion, employability and active citizenship. 
 
Alongside the policy discussions, ECOWAS officially launched the ECOWAS Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Programme (EYWEP), designed to support innovation, entrepreneurship, skills development and access to sustainable economic opportunities. 
 
Through these initiatives, ECOWAS is reaffirming its commitment to investing in human capital and promoting inclusive public policies capable of responding to the aspirations of future generations.