ECOWAS Official Calls for Holistic Approach to Social, Economic Impact of Covid-19

A representative of the ECOWAS Commission President, Nathaniel Walker, has asked young people to discuss the social and economic impact of COVID-19 from a holistic approach.

Mr. Walker spoke recently at a two-day dialogue in Monrovia. At the dialogue, he called on stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan that takes into consideration the collective aspirations of young people. He added poor governance, corruption, lack of transparency in institutions, poor and outmoded educational administration and systems, poor leadership, human rights violations, and restrictions on freedom of information as some of the entrenched problems facing young people.

Mr. Walker assured the gathering that the International Community remains resilient in its fight for young people to gain access through important legislation consistent with the need to address the global challenge, and ECOWAS and its member states remain committed through affirmative action on the rights of young people. 

At the program, the Chairman on Youth and Sports at the Liberian Senate Abraham Darius Dillon and Chairman on Youth and Sports at the House of Representatives Solomon George both emphasized the need to support the young people of Liberia if the cliche that they are the future leaders of the Country should be effectuated. 

According to them, it is time to be more practical and result-oriented on youth issues for the betterment of the Country. They both recommitted to empower the future leaders of Liberia through adequate budgetary funding for the next budget year. At the same time, the Montserrado County Lawmakers challenge the young people of Liberia to remain focused, determined, and never get tired of holding their feet to the fire on constructive national issues intended to better their lives. 

Meanwhile, the two days national youth stakeholders dialogue among other things according to the President of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) Amos Williams is aimed at creating a platform for youth leaders and stakeholders to engage each other in a drive to gather and collect empirical information on the effects of the CoronaVirus with a concentration on the social and economic impact of COVID-19.

It is expected at the end of the two days' engagements that participants, young leaders as well as stakeholders mainly in the sector will come up with concrete recommendations to help address the current and future challenges facing young people in Liberia due to the CoronaVirus.  The two days dialogue organized by FLY is also sponsored by ECOWAS with about 35 young people representing eight of Liberia’s Fifteen Counties as participants