Accra welcomes the second of the Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa (COYWA) Programme

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 03 November 2026:

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its partners, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), last week organised the second regional training session of the Creating Opportunities for Youth and Women in Africa (COYWA) programme from 26 to 30 October 2026, dedicated to strengthening the digital and financial skills of young and women entrepreneurs.

This training aims to equip participants with practical knowledge and tailored tools to develop more successful, resilient and competitive businesses.

The face-to-face session follows on from the online training phase launched on 23 September 2026, enabling participants to begin their learning journey remotely before continuing the activities in Accra.

The training focuses on mastering digital tools, including online security, improving business productivity and using digital platforms in entrepreneurial activities. The session aims to familiarise participants with the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools to support their activities, improve certain work processes and strengthen their capacity for innovation.

By combining financial education with digital skills, the COYWA programme aims to promote an integrated approach to entrepreneurship, in which the management of resources and the use of technology are mutually reinforcing.

The COYWA programme is led by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). ECOWAS acts as a key regional implementation partner, helping to tailor this initiative to the needs and priorities of West Africa.

The holding of the second training session reflects the commitment of ECOWAS and its partners to investing in the skills, innovation and economic empowerment of young people and women in the region, in line with its Vision 2050 and its commitment to human capital development. It forms part of a broader effort to promote entrepreneurship, foster value creation and strengthen young people’s contribution to the region’s economic and social development.

Present at the certificate award ceremony, alongside the ministers responsible for youth affairs from Sierra Leone and The Gambia, the representative of Benin’s Minister for Youth, Senegal’s Director of Youth Affairs, the ECOWAS Permanent Representative in Ghana and the Director of the Centre for Youth and Sports Development (CDJS/ECOWAS), the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Professor Nassirou Bako-Arifari, commended the implementation of this programme, which ensures training grounded in the economic and entrepreneurial realities of West Africa. He encouraged participants to forge lasting networks amongst young West African entrepreneurs, so that the skills acquired can be put to practical use in local and cross-border markets.

Through the second cohort of the COYWA programme, ECOWAS reaffirms the importance of support that combines training, access to digital tools, financial literacy and market access, in order to enable young and women entrepreneurs to transform their initiatives into viable and sustainable businesses.