West Africa Civil Society Week Opens in Accra with a Call for Stronger Democracy and Civic Engagement

The 3rd West Africa Civil Society Week (WACS Week 2025) opened in Accra on 19–20 November, bringing together civil society leaders, policymakers, and activists from across the region to tackle the pressing challenges of shrinking civic space, democratic backsliding, and youth engagement in West Africa.

The event opened with a keynote address by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah (PhD), who urged civil society to act as the “people’s megaphone” to amplify citizen voices, hold governments accountable, and support democratic governance.

He emphasized the critical role of youth engagement, community-based initiatives, and institutional reforms to address governance gaps, economic vulnerabilities, and regional security challenges.

Joining remotely from Abuja, H.E. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, highlighted that democracy must go beyond elections to deliver tangible results for citizens, including education, healthcare, social protection, and equitable resource management.

He stressed that civil society legitimacy must be rooted in communities, not in donor agendas, and encouraged collaboration to harness technology for civic accountability despite the rising threat of disinformation and internet shutdowns.

Dr. Nana Afadzinu, Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), called for a redefinition of civil society, urging organizations to prioritize community-centered accountability, transparency, and value-driven action over donor alignment.

She also highlighted the importance of resilient financing and strategic coalitions to withstand political pressures and shrinking civic space.

Representing Spaces for Change (S4C), Sola Sam-Adeniyi, Team Lead, spoke on behalf of Executive Director Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, noting that civil society faces mounting pressures amid rising insecurity and limited freedoms.

She called for locally driven solutions, capacity strengthening, and collaborative initiatives such as the Weaving Resilience Network to advance human rights and social justice.

The Ford Foundation, through Onyinye Onyemobi, Program Associate for West Africa, reinforced that an empowered and resilient civil society is essential to sustaining democracy.

She highlighted that inequality remains the greatest threat to democratic stability and urged civil society actors to examine new forms of organization, leadership, and solidarity necessary to strengthen the sector.

Dr. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President of Ghana, described civil society as the heartbeat of democracy, emphasizing the need for ethical, community-centered service, accountability, and complementarity with state efforts.

She urged civil society to focus on civic technology, combating disinformation, multi-stakeholder advisory frameworks, and community-led peacebuilding for meaningful citizen participation across West Africa.

The two-day event highlighted several key takeaways:

Redefining Civic Space: Prioritizing transparency, community accountability, and value-driven action over donor dependency.

Strengthening Resilience: Building sustainable funding mechanisms, principled coalitions, and local ownership.

Youth Engagement: Young people are emerging as key drivers of civic activism, digital mobilization, and governance oversight.

Women’s Rights and Inclusion: Addressing structural barriers, economic inequality, and digital threats remains critical.

Peace, Security, and Governance: Collaboration with ECOWAS and governments is essential to reinforce democratic institutions.

Capacity Building and Innovation: Programs like the Civil Society Resource Hub have strengthened leadership, governance, digital security, and youth civic education.

The West Africa Civil Society Week 2025 underscored that civil society is not merely a stakeholder but a central actor in shaping democratic resilience, bridging communities, governments, and regional institutions to build a peaceful, inclusive, and accountable West Africa.

 

Source:Joseph Wemakor