The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has taken a significant step towards addressing youth unemployment in the region by donating $2,238,000 to ten agricultural research centres.
This initiative is part of the Regional Strategy for Youth Employment in Agricultural Value Chains, aimed at equipping young people with the necessary skills to participate in and benefit from the agricultural sector.
The grant will be used to train a total of 3,850 young people, with 40 per cent of the beneficiaries being women.
The training programs will focus on enhancing their technical skills, improving their access to agricultural resources, and fostering entrepreneurship in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and halieutic sectors.
By empowering young people, ECOWAS seeks to promote sustainable agriculture, increase food production, and create more employment opportunities within the region.
During the opening ceremony of a sensitisation workshop held at the Songhai Centre in Porto Novo, Mrs. Massandjé Toure-Litse, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, formally presented the cheques to the beneficiary research centres.
She emphasized the importance of agriculture as a key driver of economic growth in West Africa and highlighted ECOWAS’ commitment to supporting young people in becoming key players in the agricultural sector.
The workshop aims to mobilize and educate the participating research centres on the objectives of the 2024/2025 Grant and the broader Regional Strategy for Youth Employment in Agricultural Value Chains.
Discussions at the event will also address challenges related to the professional integration of young people in the agricultural industry and explore strategies to enhance their participation in value-added agricultural activities.
With this financial support, ECOWAS hopes to strengthen agricultural innovation, enhance food security, and drive economic development while reducing youth unemployment in the region.
Reporting by Stephen Freeman, Accra.
