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West Africa Civil Society Week 2025: Democracy, Civic Space, and Youth Take Center Stage

The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah (PhD), has warned that democracy in West Africa faces mounting threats amid insecurity, shrinking civic space, and governance challenges.

Speaking at the 3rd West Africa Civil Society Week (WACS Week 2025), which opened in Accra on 19–20 November 2025, Ambassador Musah urged civil society organisations (CSOs) to act as critical democratic actors, amplifying citizen voices, holding governments accountable, and partnering with regional bodies to strengthen constitutional order and electoral integrity.

H.E. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, joined the convening from Abuja, bringing greetings from the 10th anniversary of the Gulag Ebele Jonathan Foundation.

In his remarks, he highlighted the urgent need for democracy to go beyond elections and address citizens’ daily needs in education, health, social protection, and economic inclusion.

He stressed that civil society legitimacy must flow from communities rather than donors, with accountability rooted in local ownership.

The two-day event, organized by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), in partnership with Spaces for Change (S4C) and the Civil Society Resource Hub, drew leaders, innovators, and civil society actors from across the region.

Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change, alongside her team, emphasized that civil society must respond to rising insecurity and shrinking civic spaces through locally driven solutions, capacity strengthening, and collaborative networks like the Weaving Resilience initiative.

Sola Sam-Adeniyi, Team Lead at Spaces for Change who delivered the welcome remarks on behalf of Ibezim-Ohaeri, highlighted the need for adaptive strategies to address violent extremism, unconstitutional governance, and limited freedoms across West Africa.

The event also showcased Ford Foundation’s commitment to civil society resilience, with Onyinye Onyemobi, Program Associate at the Ford Foundation West Africa office, delivering remarks on behalf of Dr. Catherine Chinedum Aniagolu-Okoye.

She noted that civil society is the backbone of democracy, restoring hope and countering inequality, which she identified as the greatest threat to democratic resilience.

She challenged participants to reflect critically on leadership, solidarity, and civic structures to envision a stronger and more transformative civil society.

Dr. Nana Afadzinu, Executive Director of WACSI, called on civil society actors to redefine civic space with a community-centered approach, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and value-driven action rather than alignment solely to donor expectations.

She underscored the importance of resilient financing and strategic coalitions to withstand political repression, shrinking civic space, and declining external support.

Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the President of Ghana, Dr. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, highlighted civil society as the heartbeat of democracy.

She encouraged organizations to engage in strategic capacity-building, strengthen civic technology infrastructure, combat disinformation, promote multi-stakeholder advisory frameworks, and support community-led peacebuilding to ensure inclusive governance across the region.

During his keynote address, Ambassador Musah outlined key priorities for civil society: integrating youth and community-based organizations to address governance gaps and economic vulnerabilities, reinforcing judicial autonomy, improving political party capacity, and embedding African traditions into contemporary democratic practices.

He described civil society as the “people’s megaphone,” critical to sustaining democratic resilience in the face of insecurity, climate impacts, and regional challenges.

The Week featured sessions addressing economic integration, governance, and sustainable development; civil society legitimacy amid NGO-ization; resource capture, corruption, and accountability; women’s rights and inclusive participation; and security-democracy nexus.

Key takeaways included:

Youth as drivers of accountability: Young people are increasingly shaping governance through activism, digital mobilization, and civic engagement.

Community-centered democracy: Civil society must rebuild legitimacy by reconnecting with grassroots constituencies and prioritizing local ownership.

Technology as both opportunity and risk: Digital tools expand civic space but require vigilance against misinformation, cyber threats, and digital inequality.

Sustainable, locally rooted funding: Reducing donor dependence through innovation, entrepreneurship, and community-driven resources strengthens organizational resilience.

Women’s representation: Addressing structural, economic, and digital barriers is essential for inclusive participation, with only 18% of parliamentary seats held by women on average across West Africa.

Peace and security through civil society: Partnerships with communities, governments, and regional bodies like ECOWAS are critical to sustainable peace, economic stability, and citizen trust.

The Weaving Resilience initiative, a Civil Society Resource Hub project, demonstrated practical impact by strengthening CSO capacity in leadership, governance, regulatory compliance, digital security, research, and youth engagement. Participating organizations reported improvements in operational effectiveness, leadership skills, and diversified funding sources.

By the close of the two-day event, participants had reaffirmed the central role of civil society in shaping West Africa’s democratic future. Leaders called for collaborative, community-driven, and ethically grounded civic engagement, emphasizing that democracy’s legitimacy and resilience depend on empowered, informed, and organized citizens.

The 3rd West Africa Civil Society Week ended as a clarion call: civil society, youth, and inclusive civic engagement must take center stage to defend democracy, ensure accountable governance, and build resilient, equitable societies across the region.