Over 60 delegates from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Member Countries participated in the 7th ECOWAS Volunteers Forum, which took place from Wednesday, 25th June to Thursday, 26th June 2025, at the Lagoonda Entertainment Complex, Aberdeen in Freetown.
This was the 7th Edition of the Annual Forum of National Volunteering Agencies in the ECOWAS Region. The theme for this year’s forum was “ECOWAS at 50: Scaling Volunteerism for Greater Regional Impact and Unity.”
The theme reminded Member Countries that volunteerism must move to the center stage of the regional development agenda, as the forum provided a vital platform to take stock of progress, share best practices, examine challenges, and collectively chart the way forward.
Officially opening the forum, the Minister of Youth Affairs, Mr. Ibrahim Sannoh, stated that ECOWAS must strive to provide the necessary support to ensure a successful tenure, including through the deployment of ECOWAS volunteers in the implementation of the pillars of the government’s Medium-Term National Development Plan. He commended volunteer agencies, partners, and civil society actors for their continued efforts to bring life to ECOWAS’s shared vision.
The Minister also saluted volunteers, past and present, for their courage, passion, and unwavering commitment to regional integration. He noted that as ECOWAS celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, it must be remembered that no achievement has ever been made without people willing to serve, listen, and act.
He emphasized that the forum must serve as a launching pad for real action—placing volunteerism at the heart of Africa’s transformation.
Currently, there are 21 ECOWAS volunteers in Sierra Leone working in various sectors such as education, health, agriculture, peacebuilding, youth development, and climate action. These volunteers have played a vital role in ECOWAS’s efforts to build bridges across borders, strengthen local capacities, and ignite hope in communities.
This spirit led to the bold initiative of creating the ECOWAS Volunteers Program in 2004, with its formal launch in Monrovia, Liberia in 2010, to mobilize the region’s greatest resource—its people.
To date, over 230 professionals have been deployed as volunteers on nearly 600 missions across Member States and ECOWAS institutions, offering their expertise in various disciplines.
Volunteerism has quietly and powerfully advanced the vision of regional integration, where the people of West Africa can thrive in unity and dignity.
Earlier in his welcome statement, the Deputy Development Secretary in the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Mr. Osman Conteh, affirmed that the volunteers are professionals in various fields offering their expertise. He said the forum provides a platform to critique, highlight challenges, and propose solutions, adding that the programme would expand into new areas such as climate change and public health.
He also called for the domestication of volunteerism to promote South-South Cooperation and noted that the scheme is a shining example of a robust regional policy framework that empowers youth—the change-makers of today—by equipping them with future-ready skills.
Mr. Conteh further emphasized that ECOWAS must align its support with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and promote the spirit of volunteerism to drive meaningful change.
Highlights of the well-attended event included the official opening of the forum, the screening of a documentary on ECOWAS Volunteerism, and a cultural performance by the Sierra Leone National Dance Troop.
The two-day forum concluded on Thursday, 26th June 2025, with renewed commitments from stakeholders to elevate volunteerism as a key driver of regional integration and development.
