In a bid to strengthen the collective power of civil society within the education sector, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have gathered in Accra for a three-day conference aimed at building synergy and creating a unified voice for education accountability.
The gathering, which includes 24 participants from countries such as Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, Benin, Guinea, Niger, Mali, and Ghana, is set to lay the foundation for a new collaborative initiative known as the West Africa Education Civil Society (WAECS) Platform.
The conference, which is bringing together key stakeholders in the education sector, is designed to foster cooperation, leverage individual competencies, and build on shared experiences to promote accountability in the region’s education policies. The WAECS Platform aims to utilize innovation, research evidence, and tested models to shape education policies, improve governance, and scale successful initiatives across the region.
Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), underscored the importance of a common voice for CSOs in West Africa. He emphasized that by drawing on the collective strength of CSOs within ECOWAS, the platform will not only enhance accountability but also support country-level advocacy, policy buy-in, and capacity-building efforts.
“As a sub-region, Ghana has made significant strides in education compared to its neighbors,” Asare stated. “However, with more resources than most, it’s crucial that we don’t become complacent. We can do better, and the WAECS Platform is an opportunity to push for educational investments aligned with ECOWAS Vision 2050, focusing on gender-transformative education, digital learning, youth empowerment, and employment-related skills.”
This new alliance of education-focused CSOs is aligned with ECOWAS’s overarching development goals, specifically strategic pillars aimed at promoting human and social development, and leveraging human capital to drive sustainable, inclusive growth. The platform will play a pivotal role in advancing these objectives by advocating for equitable and transformative education systems throughout the region.
Abdul Rahman Kays, representing the West Africa Youth Network for Peace, Education, and Economic Development (WAYNPEED) from Sierra Leone, provided a sobering account of the challenges facing his country’s education sector. He highlighted the failure of the government to allocate the internationally recommended 15-20% of the national budget to education. “Government officials often attend international educational conferences, only to return and inflate the education budget by including their travel expenses. Unfortunately, this does not lead to real development, leaving issues of access, quality, and infrastructure unresolved,” Kays noted.
The WAECS Platform is strategically designed to bring together national CSOs that have been recognized for their impactful contributions to education policy and advocacy in their respective countries. These organizations, already recognized by national governments for their value in shaping educational and skills development policies, will play a central role in driving regional discussions and identifying key priorities for action.
Eduwatch, alongside Oxfam in Africa, is leading the effort to mobilize CSOs and organize the platform’s development. A key component of the initiative is a digital mapping of stakeholders to ensure that influential and reliable education CSOs across the region are included in the dialogue. Additionally, a consultant with expertise in organizational development will facilitate the process of creating a strategic framework for the platform, outlining its operation, key advocacy pursuits, and sources of funding.
One of the primary outcomes expected from the conference is the establishment of a unified Education Civil Society Platform at the ECOWAS level, which will contribute to expanding civic space and enhancing accountability in public education and skills development across the region. Additionally, a draft working document detailing the platform’s operational framework has been developed, with input from member CSOs, and includes key regional advocacy priorities for improving education governance and accountability in West Africa.
The WAECS Platform is poised to be a powerful tool for education reform, helping to ensure that education policy decisions are not only transparent but also effective in meeting the diverse needs of West African nations as they strive to achieve the goals outlined in the ECOWAS Vision 2050.
