Youth Capacity Development: ECOWAS Holds Training Workshop in Benin? Equips Future Leaders for Regional Integration Tools.

By Raymond Enoch

In a bold stride toward deepening regional cohesion, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has intensified its investment in youth empowerment through a dynamic two-day training workshop held on October 8th and 9th in Cotonou, Benin.

Spearheaded by the ECOWAS Representation in Benin, the event brought together 25 carefully selected young leaders from ECOWAS university clubs and youth associations across the region. The goal: to bolster their understanding and ownership of ECOWAS policies, regional integration values, and developmental programs.

Presiding over the workshop was His Excellency Amadou DIONGUE, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, alongside Dr. Francis CHUKS NJOAGUANI, Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre. Their presence underscored the strategic importance ECOWAS places on youth as agents of change in realizing its long-term vision.

The program was rich in content, engaging participants on key pillars of ECOWAS Vision 2050—particularly peace and security, good governance, public health, agriculture, and the free movement of people and goods. Interactive sessions allowed young participants to voice their ideas, ask critical questions, and explore actionable solutions for regional challenges.

“Empowering youth is not a choice, it is a necessity,” said H.E. DIONGUE. “ECOWAS is committed to ensuring young people are equipped not only to participate in policy discussions but to lead the charge for a peaceful and prosperous West Africa.”

Dr. NJOAGUANI added that youth development remains a cornerstone of regional sustainability, highlighting the importance of grassroots engagement to translate ECOWAS policies into real-life impacts.

This initiative marks another step in ECOWAS’s broader strategy to transform its 15-member bloc into a more integrated, inclusive, and youth-driven region. The workshop concluded with a renewed pledge from participants to act as ambassadors for ECOWAS values within their institutions and communities.

As the region continues to face complex socio-political and economic challenges, ECOWAS is doubling down on the belief that an informed, united, and mobilized youth is the key to unlocking long-term stability and integration.

“The future of West Africa is not just in vision documents or summit rooms—it is in the hearts and hands of our youth,” DIONGUE affirmed.