ILO and WAEMU Deepen Partnership to Advance Youth Employment in West Africa

The discussions underscored a shared regional ambition to expand decent job opportunities for young people and address persistent employment challenges across WAEMU member states.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on youth employment, following a high-level meeting held on 3 February 2026 at the WAEMU Commission headquarters in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The discussions underscored a shared regional ambition to expand decent job opportunities for young people and address persistent employment challenges across WAEMU member states.

High-Level Talks Focus on New Youth Employment Programme (2026–2030)

The ILO delegation was received by the President of the WAEMU Commission, Abdoulaye Diop, in the presence of Union Commissioners.

Central to the meeting was the joint ILO–WAEMU Youth Employment Support Programme (2026–2030), which is currently under formulation and is expected to become a major regional framework for promoting decent work for young women and men.

Strong ILO Representation at the Meeting

The ILO delegation was led by Coffi Dominique Agossou, Deputy Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Africa.

It also included:

• Ndeye Coumba Diop, Director of the ILO Country Office for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Togo

• Jonas Bausch, Youth Employment Specialist

• Karim Toumi, Skills and Employability Specialist

Programme Targets Decent Jobs for Youth Aged 15–35

The joint initiative aims to support sustainable access to decent and productive employment for young women and men aged 15 to 35 across WAEMU countries.

It is structured around several complementary priorities, including:

• Stimulating demand for jobs

• Improving productivity of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)

• Strengthening youth employability through skills development

• Improving the quality of employment

• Enhancing labour market governance and institutions

Regional Response to Persistent Employment Challenges

Presenting the programme’s vision, Mr. Agossou said it reflects a shared commitment to structured regional solutions.

“This joint programme reflects a shared ambition to respond in a structured and regional manner to the persistent challenges of youth employment,” he said, combining political leadership, technical expertise, and international labour standards.

Focus on Results for Young Women and Inclusive Growth

Ms. Diop highlighted the programme’s practical objective of delivering tangible outcomes for youth, particularly young women.

“The objective is to produce concrete results for young people… by strengthening the links between skills, productive investment and decent job opportunities,” she said.

WAEMU Reaffirms Commitment to Implementation

President Abdoulaye Diop praised the strong cooperation between the two institutions and reaffirmed WAEMU’s commitment to implementing the programme.

Technical teams from both the ILO and WAEMU will continue working to finalise the programme document and prepare for its official launch.

Building Decent Work Opportunities Across the Region

The strengthened ILO–WAEMU partnership is expected to play a key role in supporting inclusive economic growth, boosting enterprise productivity, and ensuring that young people across West Africa can access sustainable and decent employment opportunities over the coming years.