The ECOWAS Commission on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd October 2025, hosted the Youth Creative Conference 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria. The Conference organised in partnership with the African Union and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development was under the theme: “Silencing the Guns.” The two-day youth-led conference brought together thousands of young leaders, innovators, peacebuilders, and policymakers from across Africa to advance the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative and promote sustainable peace through non-kinetic approaches.
Delivering the goodwill message, Mr. Piex Joseph AHOBA, Head of Small Arms, ECOWAS Commission on behalf of Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, underscored the central role of the youth in the regional and continental peace and security agenda. “Our greatest resource is our youth, with over 60% of West Africa’s population under the age of 25, young people are not only the future but also the present drivers of peace, democracy, and sustainable development,” he emphasized. Highlighting ECOWAS’ ongoing youth empowerment programs, including the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYDC) and various youth-led peacebuilding initiatives, he called on young people to be “leaders of today,” noting that “Silencing the Guns is not just about disarmament, it is about building societies where justice, equality, and opportunity prevail.” He further urged governments, civil society, and development partners to harness the talents of young innovators, entrepreneurs, and activists in addressing root causes of insecurity, including unemployment, marginalization, and lack of access to education.
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns, and Special Guest of Honor commended Nigeria and ECOWAS for their steadfast commitment to peacebuilding. He stressed the importance of youth as indispensable actors in conflict prevention and reconciliation: “The goal of silencing the guns by 2030 is unattainable without the full, active, and meaningful participation of Africa’s youth. Africa is the most youthful continent in the world, and this demographic is not a challenge to be managed but a strategic asset to be harnessed.” He highlighted youth-led peace initiatives across Africa from intercommunal mediation in South Sudan to digital counter-extremism in Somalia as living demonstrations of the power of youth in building sustainable peace.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Honorable Minister of Budget, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu commended the African Union and ECOWAS for their steadfast partnership in advancing peace and stability. He described the Youth Creative Conference (YCC) as an imaginative and noble course that galvanizes action, particularly by empowering young people to contribute to the restoration of peace in Nigeria and across Africa. At the continental level, he emphasized that “we need to build peace, and we need our youth to help in silencing the guns” for silencing the guns implies ending their misuse for purposes other than peacekeeping. Reflecting on the past three decades of Africa’s evolution, he urged young people to confront false narratives, amplify their voices to wider audiences and embrace their unique experiences as essential assets in shaping the future and achieving what past generations may have missed.
Speaking on behalf of the organizing team, the Convener of the Youth Creative Conference, Amb. Blaise – Kizito Ndukwe expressed gratitude to ECOWAS, the AU and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development for their partnership in advancing this youth-driven agenda. He recalled the challenging journey of establishing YCC, sharing achievements including skills training, mentorship programs, and youth empowerment initiatives across several Nigerian states. “Today, I’m proud to announce that the African Union has adopted YCC as an AU-recognized youth platform, a homegrown Nigerian initiative founded by a typical village boy that has become a continental model for youth-led peacebuilding,” he declared. He also called on the Federal Government, African Union, and ECOWAS to deepen collaboration with YCC in scaling its programs across Nigeria and the region, including the creation of a sub-regional youth observatory on peace and security. He urged African youth to remain steadfast: “Tomorrow is indeed now, and together, we will shape a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come.”
As a continental movement, YCC continues to call on governments, civil society, private sector, and international partners to invest in Africa’s young peacebuilders, transforming potential frustration into productive innovation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).