A bold call for genuine youth inclusion reverberated through the hall on Friday, November 21, 2025, in Ganta, Nimba County, at the 7th Annual Youth Leadership Conference. The event, hosted by the Youth Network for Positive Change (YNPC), witnessed the induction of the new Chairperson of the West African Young Parliamentary Network.
Speaking at the conference, Dr. Leo E. Tiah, Secretary-General of the West Africa Young Parliamentarians Network (WAYPA), set the tone with an electrifying call to governments, political parties, ECOWAS, and the African Union. He argued that Africa’s youth, long described as “leaders of the future”, must now be recognized as leaders of the present.
According to him, West Africa has a population of 60% under the age of 25, yet young people remain excluded from meaningful decision-making. “If the future is now, then the youth are the leaders of today and the architects of the change we seek tomorrow,” Tiah stressed.
He emphasized that youth participation must be substantive, not symbolic; “We don’t want a seat merely to say a young person is present. Our voices must matter.” For his part, Liberia’s Acting Deputy Minister for Youth Development, F. Alphonso Y. Belleh, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to WAYPA, aligning its goals with President Boakai’s ARREST Agenda. He said that youth are not the future of development; instead, they are its present force.
Belleh indicated that the government is committed to expanding leadership, capacity-building, and opportunities that allow youth to lead. In remarks, UNFPA Resident Representative, Dr. Mady Biaye, challenged young MPs to ensure that youth-focused policies move from paper to practice, backed by strong legislation and realistic budget allocations.
Ambassador Ethel Davis, who spoke on behalf of Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow-Nyanti, inaugurated the network, describing it as a pivotal platform for transformative youth leadership. “It symbolizes our belief that the future of this region depends on how boldly we empower our young people. Inclusive leadership is not optional; it is a necessity,” Ambassador Davis explained.
The newly inducted Chairperson of WAYPA, Abdoulie Njai of The Gambia, said the movement seeks to end the chronic underrepresentation of youth in African governance structures. He stated that despite making up over 60% of the population, young Africans are absent from the tables where their futures are decided.
