The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged senior high school (SHS) and tertiary students to take advantage of considerable opportunities within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region.
ECOWAS offers opportunities in education, cultural exchange and youth empowerment.
The Coordinating Director, Multilateral and International Organisation (COD/MIO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francis Danti Kotia, said dedicated programmes exist within the ECOWAS sub-region to support young people through scholarships, internships and cross-border collaborations.
Workshop
Mr Kotia made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf during a day’s regional sensitisation workshop on ECOWAS protocols for senior high and tertiary students in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region last Wednesday, April 16, 2026.
Sensitisation
Organised by the Foreign Affairs Ministry together with other partners, the aim of the workshop was to enlighten and inspire the students about the role, vision and protocols of ECOWAS as well as opportunities which may be derived from the regional body.
Participants in the workshop on ECOWAS protocols
Held on the theme: “Stronger together for a better future”, the students were taken through the mandate and functions of ECOWAS, ECOWAS youth policy, ECOWAS protocol on free movement, rights of residence and establishment, among others.
Selected SHS students who attended the event included Anglican SHS, Prempeh College, Yaa Asantewaa Girls SHS, St Louis SHS, KNUST SHS, Kumasi Girls SHS, Opoku Ware SHS and Sakafia Islamic SHS.
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The Coordinating Director told the students that the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons was their right, thus they should make good use of it, saying, “Consider studying abroad in ECOWAS member states and pursue careers that span the sub-region”.
Further, he encouraged them to learn more about ECOWAS, its values, structures, programmes and opportunities and also to participate actively in youth forums that promote regional cooperation.
Similarly, use technology and innovation to connect with peers across the sub-region and champion peace and tolerance, for without it, there can be no meaningful development,” he told the students.
Touching on the theme, Mr Kotia said that its rest on empirical observation that no single West African State, be it Nigeria with its size, Cote d’Ivoire with its economic weight and Ghana with its relative stability, is sufficient on its own to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Knowledge
The Ashanti Regional Director, Ghana Education Service, Dr William Kwame Amankra Appiah, said by understanding the protocols, students would be equipped with the knowledge to take full benefit of educational exchanges and economic opportunities, among others.
“Let us commit to building bridges, not barriers.
Together, we can shape a bright and more beautiful future for West Africa for the benefit of the citizenry,” Dr Appiah stated.
Meaningful opportunity
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, said the workshop presented a timely and meaningful opportunity for the participants to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the protocols that govern relations among member states.
These protocols, he said, reflect ECOWAS’s collective resolve to uphold peace, stability, good governance and socio-economic advancement throughout West Africa, saying “the protocols of ECOWAS go beyond trade and movement of people.
They speak to a deeper harmony, mutual respect and collective aspirations for progress among our nations”.
Dr Amoakohene stated that through purposeful engagement, such as what was held, the youth, beaming with creativity and potential capable of sustaining the unity and development of the sub-region, would be well-informed.
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Source:
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