The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it will deploy youth election observers alongside its traditional observation missions for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division, Serigne Mamadou Ka, disclosed this in Abuja during a sectoral reflection series on elections and democracy organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in collaboration with Legis360.
Ka said the youth observation initiative had been piloted in Côte d’Ivoire and replicated in Benin, with plans to extend it to Cabo Verde, The Gambia and Nigeria.
He also urged political parties to create more opportunities for young people to participate in their structures and decision-making processes, identifying limited access to finance, inadequate training and social and cultural barriers as some of the challenges affecting youth participation.
Executive Director of PAACA, Ezenwa Nwagwu, stressed the importance of equipping young observers with adequate knowledge of electoral laws and regulations to ensure effective monitoring of the electoral process.
