The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), in collaboration with the ECOWAS National Unit, has engaged selected Senior High School students in the Ashanti Region in a sensitisation workshop aimed at deepening their understanding of regional integration and ECOWAS protocols.
The initiative, held as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), focused on equipping young people with knowledge about the bloc’s mandate, opportunities, and principles guiding free movement, residence, and economic activity across member states.
Speaking at the event under the theme “Stronger Together for a Brighter Future,” the Director of Regional Integration at the MFA, Felix Akom Nyarko, stressed that the success of regional integration depends not only on treaties but also on active youth participation.
He noted that although ECOWAS, established in 1975, has contributed to peace, stability, and economic cooperation in West Africa, intra-regional trade remains low, accounting for less than 15 per cent of total trade.
He attributed this partly to limited industrialisation in the sub-region, which has resulted in heavy dependence on raw material exports and costly imports of finished goods.
Mr Nyarko urged students to position themselves as future drivers of reform, encouraging them to deepen their knowledge of ECOWAS structures and actively engage in youth platforms that promote regional cooperation.
“The greatest contribution of your generation will not just be to celebrate ECOWAS, but to fix what is broken,” he said.
The Deputy Director at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Dorcas Baidoo, described the workshop as a timely intervention that would help build an informed youth capable of sustaining regional unity and development.
She said ECOWAS protocols reflect collective commitments to peace, good governance, and socio-economic progress across West Africa, and urged young people to embrace these ideals.
Officials from institutions including the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, Ghana Immigration Service, and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection also educated students on their respective mandates and encouraged them to seek guidance when needed.
Participants expressed appreciation to the MFA, noting that the programme had significantly improved their understanding of ECOWAS and its protocols.
