GANTA, Nimba County – Young parliamentarians from across West Africa have used the 7th Annual Youth Education and Leadership Conference (AYEALC) in Ganta to demand real political power for youth, warning that token representation is no longer acceptable in a region where more than 60% of the population is under 30.
Dr. Leo E. Tiah, Chief Convener of the conference and Secretary‑General of the West Africa Young Parliamentarians Network (WAYPA), set the tone in a fiery address that challenged governments, political parties, ECOWAS and the African Union to turn demographic reality into political inclusion.
“West Africa has a population of 60% under the age of 25,” Tiah said. “Despite this demographic advantage, young people continue to face significant challenges in representation in political and leadership processes… I believe that if the future is now, then definitely we are the leaders of today and the leaders of the change we want to see tomorrow.”
“We deserve a seat at every table,” he added, “not because we want to talk away the room to say a young person is represented. We should have our voices being heard, not just having a seat at the table.”
WAYPA Formally Launched in Liberia
The conference also hosted the formal launch of WAYPA, a new regional platform uniting young members of parliament from The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, and, soon, Liberia.
Ambassador Ethel Davis, representing Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow‑Nyanti, officially launched the network, calling it “more than a ceremonial gathering.”
“It symbolizes our collective belief that the future of our region depends on how boldly we empower our young people to participate in leadership, governance, policy formulation, and peace building,” she said. “In a region where more than 60% of our population is under the age of 30, inclusive leadership is not optional, it is a necessity.”
Davis praised the emergence of WAYPA as “timely and essential,” describing it as “a platform that strengthens dialogue, amplifies shared aspirations, and builds collective solutions to challenges that transcend borders.”
New Chairperson: ‘Our Mission Is Not Defiance, But Shared Power’
Newly inducted WAYPA Chairperson, Representative Abdoulie Njai of The Gambia—elected to parliament at 26 and now 29—said the network is a “sacred commitment” to close the gap between a youth‑heavy population and youth‑light decision‑making.
“Despite constituting over 60% of Africa’s population, young people remain systematically excluded from the decision‑making tables where our futures are determined,” Njai said. “This representation gap is not just a statistical anomaly; it is a fundamental failure of governance.”
He vowed that WAYPA will fight for “youth‑centric policies that move beyond rhetoric to tangible implementation,” including laws and quotas that guarantee meaningful youth participation in parliament and public offices.
Njai called for an “intergenerational compact” between elders and youth:
“Our mission is not one of defiance against our elders,” he said. “We need their guidance, their counsel, and their support. But guidance must be a dialogue, not a monologue… We are here to build an intergenerational compact that requires our elders to not just mentor, but to share power.”
Liberia’s Youth Ministry Backs Political Push
Acting Deputy Minister for Youth Development F. Alphonso Y. Belleh pledged the Liberian government’s support for the new network, linking its agenda to President Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
“The West African Young Parliamentarians Network embodies a bold choice: that youth voice is not a peripheral asset but a central engine of progress,” Belleh said. “Youth are not the future of development, but its present force when they are empowered, engaged, and equipped with opportunities.”
He said the Ministry of Youth and Sports is committed to “creating opportunities for leadership development, capacity‑building, and public participation that complement the aims of this Network,” stressing that young people are “not spectators but stewards of inclusive development.”
UNFPA Resident Representative Dr. Mady Biaye echoed the call for real youth power, urging parliamentarians to move instruments like the ECOWAS Youth Policy and African Youth Charter “from paper to practice” through concrete laws and budgets.
As the conference continues, delegates from Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Nigeria are expected to draft advocacy roadmaps aimed at securing binding commitments on youth participation at national and regional levels.
