The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has challenged Catholic youth across West Africa to take courage and play a leading role in building peace, promoting regional integration and creating a more hopeful future for the continent.
Addressing thousands of young Catholics gathered in Accra for the West Africa Youth Days (WAYD 2026), the Vice President said young people have a critical role to play in confronting the challenges threatening the stability and development of the sub-region.
WAYD 2026, being held from September 7 to 11, 2026, is the first regional gathering of its kind, bringing together nearly 4,000 to 5,000 Catholic youth from 16 West African countries.
The event, organised by the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA/CERAO), is being held under the theme: “Take Courage: Catholic Youth as Actors and Agents of Peace and Hope in West Africa.”
Professor Naana Jane said West Africa’s youthful population represents a major source of energy, creativity and potential, but warned that young people are also facing serious challenges, including insecurity, extremism, economic hardship, irregular migration, misinformation, unemployment and climate change.
She stressed that many of these challenges transcend national borders and therefore require collective action from governments, institutions, communities and young people.
The Vice President said creating a credible future for young people must remain a priority for governments across the region.,
“Our education must open doors to opportunity. Those who want to learn a skill must be able to do so, and hard work must offer a credible path to a better life,” she said.
She highlighted several initiatives being implemented in Ghana to expand opportunities for young people, including the Adwumawura programme, the National Apprenticeship Programme and the One Million Coders programme.
According to the Vice President, the initiatives are aimed at providing entrepreneurship support, practical and vocational skills, and digital training to prepare young people for a rapidly changing economy.
She, however, acknowledged that government programmes alone cannot address all the challenges facing young people.
She called for continued efforts to improve education, support businesses and build an economy capable of providing decent and productive jobs.
Professor Naana Jane also highlighted the important role of the Catholic Church in promoting peace, justice and human dignity across West Africa.
She said the Church’s extensive presence across the sub-region gives it a unique opportunity to build relationships across communities and national borders.
She encouraged participants to use the gathering to build friendships and develop a deeper understanding of one another’s cultures and societies.
“Ultimately West African integration will depend on agreements, institutions, and political leadership,” she said, adding that integration also requires West Africans who know one another and can recognise their common interests even when they disagree.
The Vice President further urged young people to use technology responsibly, warning that digital platforms can quickly spread misinformation, anger, prejudice and falsehood across borders.
At the same time, she said technology can be a powerful tool for connecting communities, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities.
“How we use these tools in becoming parts of how we build peaceful societies is what matters,” she said.
Professor Naana Jane reminded the young participants that their individual choices can have a significant impact on the future of the region.
She pointed to the friendships they form, the information they share, the enterprises they establish, the professions they pursue and the way they handle disagreements as important contributions to the kind of West Africa that will emerge.
“Never forget the difference you can make,” she told the gathering.
WAYD 2026 is designed to bring young Catholics from across West Africa together to reflect on the challenges confronting the region and strengthen a network of young peacebuilders.
Modelled on the global World Youth Day, the event is centred at Achimota School in Accra and seeks to promote faith, dialogue, solidarity and regional cooperation among young people.
With participants drawn from 16 countries, the gathering provides a platform for young Catholics to share experiences, build cross-border relationships and explore practical ways of contributing to peace and development.
Professor Naana Jane urged participants to return to their respective countries with more than memories of the gathering.
She encouraged them to take home new friendships, greater understanding of other cultures and a renewed conviction that the future of West Africa is a shared responsibility.
“The future of West Africa is something we all share,” she said.
By Evelyn Tengmaa
