EVALUATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECOWAS CHILD POLICY BY MEMBER STATES OF THE REGIONAL ORGANIZATION

Poverty and natural or human made disasters such as population displacement, the destruction of essential socio-economic infrastructure, flood-induced epidemics, food insecurity, and malnutrition hinder the realization of children’s rights in West Africa.

This was highlighted in the opening address delivered by Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed, Acting Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs at the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in Abuja, Nigeria. The remarks were made during the opening of the regional evaluation and strategic planning meeting with Member State directors in charge of children’s rights on the implementation of the ECOWAS Child Policy.

According to Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed represented by Ms. Bassasso Essossinam Ali Tiloh, Program Officer for Children’s Rights, Child Protection, and Child Labor at the directorate millions of children in Africa are still deprived of their rights to education, health, protection, and participation. She noted that this situation is particularly linked to poverty, gender, ethnicity, nationality, lack of documentation, or geographical origin.

She emphasized the new ECOWAS Child Policy and its Strategic Action Plan (2019–2030), adopted on June 29, 2019, in the Nigerian federal capital by West African leaders to reiterate their commitment to eradicating all forms of violence against children within the community space.

“The overall goal of the 2019–2030 Child Policy and Action Plan is to assist ECOWAS Member States in creating an enabling environment for the Survival, Development, Protection, and Participation of children across the entire region,” said Ms. Ali Tiloh.

This Policy, she explained, addresses the numerous challenges affecting West African children in achieving their rights to survival, development, protection, and participation in West Africa.