WAYC Historical Profile
The West African-Youth Council (WEST-AFRICAN- YC; WAYC) was established in 2014 as a youth arm of the ECOWAS Commission to minimize the demanding challenges of youths in order to discharge efficient service delivery with the sole aim of engaging and promoting regional economic co-operation and integrations between 15 countries with different historic trajectories (colonization, language, and administrative cultures) through cohort of youth hubs activities to the posterity of the sustainable development process of the West African region.
It is evidential that 60% of Africa’s population is dominated by youths whom are Africa’s greatest resources and access to generation revolution if only they are given the chance to active participation in the governing machinery process. Youth’s exclusion from decision making has a trend to future embarrassment, huge dependency on society and lead to the influx to Africa’s poor human development index.
Due to regional complexities which have impeded the fathom growth of the region (including the lack of space for multi-actor approaches to regional policy formulation and implementation, climate change, terrorism, HIV/AIDS, poverty, lack of access to affordable education, reduction in power supplies to developing countries, and there are also constraints hampering the ability of non-state actors to play a positive role as ‘norm entrepreneurs’ or ‘drivers’ of regional integration agendas) conglomeration of west African youth deemed it supercilious to give input base on professions in order to rocket the lofty and monumental development of the regional.
Beyond those major challenges of capacity building & human development, organization network & funding, and regional development, there is still a milestone of hope that can champion the wheels to revert to a sequence of sustainable changes that will nexus the gaps for smooth and perceptible development.
In confederation of rejuvenating regional peace, security and integration, passionate youths from around West Africa converged in Abuja, Nigeria on November 11, 2014 to purposely skill-up the tremendous and commendable long decade’s efforts made by the ECOWAS Commission. The meeting was WAYC first gathering which frosted young sophisticated brains whose regional intuitions were squarely in the interest of the future ECOWAS, thus acquitting significant insightful gain synergizing youth participation in the formulation of policies and their inclusion to major decision making matters relating to the West Africa region.
The first conference took place in Abuja which was known as ‘The West African Youth Resolution- Abuja’ that give birth to the formation of the West African Youth Council with agreement reached that the WAYC should initiate and stand tall as the integration of youth and student moments for the overall radical socio-economic development of the continent and pan-Africanism solidarity, defending students and youths rights, promoting equality, inclusive democratization and equal access to justice, education at all levels, promoting youth Agro businesses and entrepreneurship, promoting regional trade dynamics, empowering women, improving the health sector through science and technology, resonating attitude of climate change, are all hull-marks of regional developmental schemes and alleviating components for global impact.
As part of WAYC chief-priorities the ECOWAS 2020, Pan-African 2063 and United Nation 2030 agendas are all toolkits for implementing aim and objectives to best fast-strike the organization’s realization. The West-African Youth Council plans of actions have suited to enlarging and implement every global vision that will cultivate peace and freedom for all global citizens.
The West African Youth Resolution in Abuja highlighted key operational areas for the West-African Youth Council including:
a) Activating free plight forms for youth’s participation in political, socio-economical and governing space of their region.
b) Promoting international development, creating framework for intellectual dialogue and supporting the diversity of ideas and practices.
c) Tackling issues of violence and terrorism in order to reinvent strategies to restore regional trust for peace and security among member states.
d) Supporting regional integration and free market through cross border trade and free citizenry movement.
e) Working hard to promote affirmative agendas of the West-African Commission and other global agendas for a more sustainable and equal region for all.