ECOWAS allocates $2.2million to train over 3000 youth in Agriculture
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has allocated a $2.2 million grant to train 3,850 young people, 40% of whom are women, in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries sector across the region.
The initiative, covering the 2025-2026 period, aims to enhance youth employability and self-sufficiency in agriculture, La Nation reports.
Massandje Litsé Touré, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, emphasized the strategic importance of this investment for West Africa's agricultural sector. She noted that this grant follows a previous $1 million allocation in 2023, which supported 24 training centres under ECOWAS' Regional Strategy for Youth Employability in Agriculture.
“This initiative aligns with ECOWAS’ vision for inclusive and innovative agricultural development,” Touré stated. “Training young people is an investment in our collective future. It equips them with the tools to transform agriculture, enhance productivity, and strengthen sector competitiveness. It also addresses youth unemployment by fostering self-employment and entrepreneurship.”
The grant distribution includes $936,000 for Songhai Centers, $708,000 for the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and its ten national agronomic research centres, and $594,000 for agroeconomic and organic production centres implementing the Organic and Ecological Agriculture (EOA-I) initiative under the WASEOA secretariat.
