ECOWAS Commission and partners conclude youth, peace and security consultations in Senegal

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in collaboration with its partners, has concluded a series of regional consultations in Senegal to advance the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda. The meetings, which began in Matam and continued in Tambacounda, ended in Kédougou on 27th September 2025, paving the way for the development and adoption of Senegal’s National Youth Action Plan (NAP).

In his remarks, the Governor of Tambacounda, Mr. Guedj Diouf, pledged his region’s support for the process, noting that youth living along border communities are both vulnerable to cross-border risks and central to finding sustainable solutions. Similarly, the Governor of Kédougou, Ms. Miriama Traoré, highlighted the need for continuous sensitisation of young people on participatory governance and empowerment, stressing that the ECOWAS YPS initiative complements the national government’s efforts to engage youth as champions of peace and security.

The consultations featured breakout sessions facilitated by the Association pour la Promotion du Leadership des Jeunes Femmes et Filles (APELJFF), with the active support of Mr. Babacar Sall from the Ministry of Youth Development. The sessions identified several pressing challenges, including high youth unemployment and limited economic opportunities leading to irregular migration, inadequate access to quality education and vocational training, cross-border insecurity, early and forced marriages, limited access to reproductive health services, and socio-cultural norms that restrict youth participation and leadership.

Other concerns raised were limited political inclusion, economic exclusion due to poor infrastructure and weak integration into agricultural value chains, exposure to recruitment by armed groups, frustration over limited job opportunities despite the presence of mining industries in Kédougou, as well as environmental degradation and land conflicts affecting farming and artisanal mining. The youth were also sensitised on the potential of start-ups to support their enterprises and innovations.

The Senegalese YPS process is supported by the authorities through a National Task Force (NTF) and a Steering Committee to oversee validation. Participants included youth representatives, organisations, students, persons with disabilities, and community service practitioners.

With the support of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) through the ECOWAS Peace Fund, and technical backing from the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), the ECOWAS Commission will also accompany the YPS processes in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Togo. To date, only eight African countries have completed and adopted their YPS-NAPs: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Malawi, The Gambia, Liberia, Cameroon and South Sudan.