By Nnasom David

In commemoration of the ECOWAS at 50 celebration, Favour Ugwumba, Co-Founder of El Echad Foundation, represented Nigeria as a delegate at the ECOWAS Human Capital Development (HCD) Youth Conference, held in Accra, Ghana, 29-30 April 2025.

The conference brought together youth leaders from across the ECPWAS subregion to discuss human capital development in ECOWAS member states, with a focus on increasing youth and women’s participation.

The theme was: “Fostering a Region that is More Economically Inclusive and Peaceful.”

Miss Favour shared her vision for the future of ECOWAS: “one that includes greater representation for grassroots communities and persons with disabilities.”

Her vision was highlighted by Alice Kola-Solomon of the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate as one of the top priorities of the Directorate’s vision for 2050.

Alice Kola-Solomon commended the vision articulated by Favour Ugwumba and reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to strengthening youth engagement and reaching underserved communities.

Furthermore, Miss Favour highlighted other interventions that the ECOWAS Commission could explore, including encouraging member states to implement the creation of radio schools in grassroots communities.

Using the El Echad ICT and coding for beginner’s project as an example, she noted that supporting such ventures could help address low digital skills education, school enrollment rates, and literacy level in the region.

Favour further encouraged both the Commission and West African youth to embrace a mindset of innovation and proactive problem-solving.