ECOWAS Parliament Tags Youth Unemployment “Regional Emergency” at Monrovia Investment Policy Review
West African legislators meeting in Monrovia have warned that soaring youth unemployment is no longer just an economic headache but a “social emergency” already feeding irregular migration and insecurity.
Opening a week‑long Joint Committee review of the ECOWAS Investment Policy (EIP), Alhagie S. Darbo, chair of the Parliament’s Macroeconomic Policy Committee, said the region must “move from aspiration to implementation” and translate investment flows into sustainable, decent jobs.
“Investment that does not create work for our young people merely fuels frustration,” Darbo told delegates. “We need outcomes, not theories.”
Lawmakers drafted an action matrix centred on:
1. Speedy national adoption of the EIP, cutting red tape that stalls projects.
2. Inclusive finance windows targeting youth, women and small businesses.
3. Alignment of cross‑border investments with domestic development plans.
4. Tougher parliamentary oversight to monitor, evaluate and demand results.
5. Priority for ‘quality capital’ that transfers skills in agro‑processing, digital services and light manufacturing.
Delegates agreed that economic integration will be judged by job numbers, not headline growth. The meeting also highlighted the need to shore up security and investor confidence, without which “capital will simply stay away,” Darbo warned.
The committee’s recommendations will feed into the next plenary of the ECOWAS Parliament and be forwarded to the bloc’s Council of Ministers. Implementation reviews are slated for early 2026.
