ECOWAS Commission, with WANEP and GIZ, held a Regional Youth Leadership Training on Peace and Security from 29 to 30 October 2026 at KAIPTC in Accra, Ghana.
The two-day session ran under the theme “Transforming Youth Leadership and Policy Action to Advance Peace, Security and Community Resilience in West Africa” and formed part of ECOWAS consultations on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS).
According to ECOWAS, the training aimed to strengthen young people’s leadership capacities and their participation in peacebuilding amid regional challenges including violent extremism, political instability, unconstitutional changes of government, electoral tensions, climate-related insecurity and socioeconomic exclusion.
ECOWAS places young people at approximately 60 per cent of the region’s population, and the programme framed them as strategic partners in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and development rather than merely as beneficiaries of peace and security interventions.
Addressing participants, the Commandant of KAIPTC, Air Vice Marshal David Anetey Akrong, called for practical investments in youth leadership and empowerment and urged those in the room to apply their knowledge to promote dialogue, prevent conflict and strengthen social cohesion.
“The true measure of this training will not be the number of participants trained, but the positive impact you make in your respective communities,” he said.
Dr Onyinye Onwuka, Head of Mediation and Coordination at the Regional Political Affairs Division, spoke on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission.
She said advancing the YPS Agenda requires sustained mentorship, institutional support and meaningful youth inclusion in peace and security decision-making, and urged development partners to support the implementation of initiatives and action plans emerging from the training.
In his keynote address, H.E. Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, underscored the need to involve young people in leadership, governance and decision-making, noting that their exclusion would undermine efforts to achieve sustainable peace, stability and development.
He highlighted their contributions to social justice, national transformation and Africa’s development, and stressed that youth empowerment is a shared responsibility.
Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former President of the ECOWAS Commission and the KAIPTC Goodwill Ambassador and African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns in Africa, chaired a session on Intergenerational Transition Circles and generational exchange.
He encouraged participants to demonstrate leadership through action by promoting dialogue, building trust and inspiring positive change in their communities.
ECOWAS said the training strengthened participants’ capacities in leadership, conflict transformation, advocacy, entrepreneurship, mentorship and regional networking, equipping them with practical skills to address community challenges and support peacebuilding initiatives.
The programme concluded with a call on participants to become ambassadors of peace and security, translating their knowledge and networks into practical community initiatives and stronger regional cooperation.
ECOWAS and its partners described the initiative as a reaffirmation of their commitment to advancing the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda and to empowering young people to lead, influence decisions and contribute to a peaceful, inclusive and resilient West Africa.
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