By: Kadijatu Bangura, Reporter D.S
Freetown, June 25, 2025 — Over 60 delegates from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Member Countries have convened for the 7th ECOWAS Volunteers Forum, which began Wednesday at the Lagoonda Entertainment Complex in Aberdeen. This year’s theme, “ECOWAS at 50: Scaling Volunteerism for Greater Regional Impact and Unity,” emphasizes the critical role of volunteerism in the region’s development agenda.
Minister of Youth Affairs, Mr. Ibrahim Sannoh, officially opened the forum, highlighting the importance of providing support to ECOWAS volunteers in implementing the government’s Medium-Term National Development Plan. He commended volunteer agencies, partners, and civil society actors for their dedication to ECOWAS’s shared vision and recognized the contributions of volunteers, past and present, to regional integration.
“We must ensure that volunteerism takes center stage in Africa’s transformation,” Sannoh stated. He also noted that currently, 21 ECOWAS volunteers are active in Sierra Leone, contributing to sectors such as education, health, agriculture, peacebuilding, youth development, and climate action.
The ECOWAS Volunteers Program, initiated in 2004 and launched in Monrovia, Liberia in 2010, aims to mobilize the region’s human resources. To date, over 230 volunteers have been deployed on nearly 600 missions across Member States, demonstrating the power of volunteerism in fostering unity and dignity in West Africa.
Deputy Development Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Mr. Osman Conteh, emphasized that the forum serves as a platform for addressing challenges and finding solutions, including new areas such as climate change and public health. He called for the domestication of volunteerism to enhance South-South cooperation and equip youth with essential skills for the future.
The event featured the screening of a documentary on ECOWAS Volunteerism and a cultural performance by the Sierra Leone National Dance Troupe, marking a vibrant start to the two-day forum.
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