For ECOWAS, it is important that the work force constituted by young people be invested in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and halieutic sector, which is the main driving force behind the region's economy and development. The employability of young people will also reduce their uncontrolled emigration outside the region and the continent, their exposure to the risk of integrating criminal groups (terrorism, banditry, etc.) and thus, strengthen peace and stability in the region that is already facing many scourges including insecurity and the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to promote the employability of young people in the agro-sylvo-pastoral and halieutic sector, ECOWAS is working on three main levers, namely, to adopt (i) a regional strategy on the employability of young people, (ii) priority investment programs for massive job creation, and (iii) specific mobilizing projects for the benefit of regional professional organizations and Member States.

The technical validation of the regional strategy in April 2019 enabled ECOWAS to provide itself with a framework for intervention by those involved in youth employment. By 2030, this strategy anticipates that at least 30% of young people will be employed in the sector, a 75% reduction in youth underemployment in rural areas and a 75% reduction in young people subject to emigration.

The priority investment programs for the operationalization of the strategy constitute the second lever of the action. To this end, (i) a priority investment program for the massive creation of jobs for young people and (ii) a priority investment program for the promotion of local milk value chains are being developed. The technical validation of these programs is scheduled for the coming weeks.

In addition to these priority programs, there are 12 specific mobilizing programs. The action, through this third lever, is based on the imperative need to involve the networks of regional professional organizations and sectoral ministries in the process of operationalizing the regional strategy.

ECOWAS is working actively with all stakeholders, including the Swiss Cooperation, the financial partner to the process, on the finalization and ownership of all these instruments in order to promote the employability of young people in the rural development sector.