ABUJA, Nigeria, August 10, 2026/APO Group/ —
The Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the ECOWAS Regional Policies on Sports, Youth and Volunteerism, as well as their Strategic Action Plans. This came at the end of the Ministerial Meeting held in Dakar, on 30 and 31 July 2026.
This high-level meeting marks a major milestone in the process of strengthening community policies in favour of youth, sports and volunteerism, in line with the ECOWAS Vision 2050, which aims to build a more integrated, prosperous and inclusive community of peoples.
In the course of their deliberations, the Ministers adopted:
- the ECOWAS Sports Policy and its Strategic Action Plan 2026-2035;
- the ECOWAS Youth Policy together with its Strategic Action Plan 2026-2035;
- the ECOWAS Volunteer Programme (EVP) Strategic Policy Document, aimed at strengthening civic engagement, regional solidarity and youth participation in sustainable development.
The texts adopted aim to provide Member States with a harmonised framework to promote the development of sports, empower young people, improve their employability, encourage entrepreneurship, develop volunteering and consolidate social cohesion through regional integration.
The Ministers commended the technical work carried out by the experts of the Member States and the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC). They also reaffirmed their commitment to support the effective implementation of these strategic instruments, through enhanced cooperation between the Member States and the Community institutions.
Through this adoption, ECOWAS reaffirms its commitment to place youth, sports and volunteerism at the heart of its development agenda, considering them as essential levers for peace, stability, regional integration and sustainable development in West Africa.
The Ministers instituted a biennial meeting of youth and sports experts and ministers for the effective monitoring of the implementation of the three community instruments.