ECOWAS Grants $2.2 Million for Agricultural Training of West African Youth

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has granted a $2.238 million funding to 15 agricultural centers across the region to enhance youth employment within agricultural value chains.

According to a press release sent to the AIP on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, this grant will provide training to 3,850 young people, 40% of whom are women, offering them opportunities for professional integration and promoting entrepreneurship in the agro-sylvopastoral and fisheries sectors.

During the opening ceremony of the beneficiary awareness workshop, held at the Songhaï Center in Porto-Novo (Benin), Mrs. Massandjé Touré-Litse, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, presented checks to the concerned centers on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray.

She emphasized that this initiative aligns with ECOWAS’s vision of promoting sustainable, inclusive, and innovative agriculture. "Training young people is an investment in our collective future. It provides them with the necessary tools to transform our agriculture, improve productivity, and strengthen the competitiveness of our agricultural sectors," she stated.

Cheque Presentation at the Songhaï Center: The director of the Songhaï Center, Godfrey Nzamujo, praised the commitment, stating that this initiative marks the beginning of a new economic paradigm integrating agriculture, industry, and services for sustainable transformation. "We must go beyond short-term solutions and offer structural responses to the challenges of unemployment and environmental degradation," he added.

The fund distribution is as follows: $936,000 for the Songhaï Centers, $708,000 for CORAF and 10 national agricultural research centers (CNRA), and $594,000 for agroecological and organic production centers as part of the African Union's initiative on organic and ecological agriculture.

This program is part of ECOWAS's Regional Strategy for Youth Employment in Agricultural Sectors, aiming to energize West African youth and make agriculture a driving force for sustainable growth and development.