By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, May 09, GNA – The West African Youth Alliance (WAYA) has petitioned the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to prioritise the inclusion of young people in decision-making processes at all levels.
The petition, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale, said this could be achieved by the establishment of an ECOWAS Youth Parliament, a youth wing of the ECOWAS Parliament, to promote peaceful and inclusive democracy across the region.
The petition was jointly signed by Mr. Mohammed Inusah, Convenor of WAYA, and Mr. Samuel Gariba, Head of Leadership and Good Governance at WAYA.
It said, “The youth of West Africa represent the heartbeat of the region comprising 53 per cent of the population. They are the drivers of innovation, resilience, and progress.”
It added that, “Yet, they remain largely excluded from platforms where decisions affecting their lives are made. This exclusion hinders the region’s potential and denies youth the opportunity to learn from leaders and develop their own leadership skills.”
It said with over 412.5 million young people in West Africa, their energy, creativity, and ambition were essential to achieving sustainable development.
The petition emphasised that involving youth in governance would ensure that policies reflected realities, challenges, and aspirations of all generations while promoting transparency, accountability and fairness in governance.
It added that including the youth in decision-making processes would not only ensure their voices and concerns were represented but would also empower them to take ownership and responsibility for their communities and future as well as bring diverse experiences, skills and knowledge enriching decision-making processes.
The petition urged ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to collaborate with both the ECOWAS Parliament and WAYA to establish the ECOWAS Youth Parliament.
It said the proposed body would provide a platform for youth from member states to participate in decision-making and voice their concerns at the regional level.
The petition also called for the provision of training, mentorship and adequate resources to empower the proposed Parliament to function effectively and prepare young people for future leadership roles.
It said “The youth of West Africa have the passion, skills and commitment to contribute meaningfully to regional development. Their inclusion should not be seen as an act of goodwill or favour but as a necessary step toward achieving regional integration, stability, prosperity and inclusive democracy.”
GNA
EA/BM