The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the West African Secretariat of Ecological Organic Agriculture (WASEOA), has launched a $594,000 initiative to empower 1,270 young people in agriculture across six West African countries. The project will support youth in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal with training in organic agriculture and agroecology from April 2025 to March 2026.

The agreement was signed during a workshop in Lagos with representatives from approved training centres in the participating countries. The funds will be managed and disbursed by the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), which serves as the WASEOA secretariat.

The initiative targets youth between the ages of 18 and 35. NOAN president said that with a large segment of West Africa’s population aged 20 to 24, the region faces high unemployment and underemployment, making this intervention timely.

In Nigeria, 270 youths will benefit from the training, with activities scheduled to take place in Zaria, Anambra and Oyo. The selection process aims to include 40 percent female participants. Trainings will focus on region-specific crops for long-term sustainability, such as sesame and ginger in the north. The training also incorporates Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Heuristics (ASPH), an integrated approach combining agriculture, forestry, and livestock management.

According to the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, the initiative aligns with the regional strategy for youth employment in agriculture. A representative from the Commission emphasized the importance of addressing gaps in agricultural training, employment, food security and climate change education to curb youth migration and unlock the potential within Africa’s agricultural sector.

Training centres in each country will receive sub-grants to facilitate the programs. Participants from the first phase of funding, including those in Nigeria, Liberia and Togo, reported positive outcomes. In Anambra State, for instance, young participants formed cooperatives and started setting up fish ponds after receiving training under the Fisheries & Aquaculture Value Chain Partnership Centre.

The regional steering committee expressed hope that the program will deepen food security efforts, promote inclusive development, and foster regional integration through youth-led agricultural entrepreneurship.

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