ECOWAS SUPPORTS THE 2026 DAKAR YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES WITH A DONATION OF 300,000 USD

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On the sidelines of the ECOWAS Youth Conference and the Senegal National Youth Forum, held in Dakar, Senegal, on 26 and 27 November 2024, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Centre for Youth Development and Sport, presented a cheque for 300,000 USD to the National Olympic and Sports Committee of Senegal (CNOSS) to support the organisation of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. This symbolic gesture reflects significant financial support and ECOWAS’s commitment to helping Senegal ensure the success of this global sporting event, which aims to empower young people and promote the universal values of the Olympic Movement. The official handover ceremony, led by Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, took place in Dakar in the presence of Ms Khady Diène Gaye, Senegal’s Minister for Youth, Sport and Culture. His Excellency Francis Chuks Njoaguani, Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Youth and Sports Development and Acting ECOWAS Resident Representative in Burkina Faso, as well as several other high-level dignitaries, also attended the event. This partnership reflects ECOWAS’s commitment to sport and youth development, whilst upholding the principles of equal opportunities. The funds granted will be used to support the organisation and promotion of this world-class sporting event, which will be held for the first time on the African continent. In her speech during the cheque-presentation ceremony, Prof. Sow Sarr congratulated Senegal on this historic achievement, which, she said, is a source of pride for the entire ECOWAS region and offers athletes from the Community’s member states the opportunity to compete with their peers at an international level. She assured the Senegalese government of ECOWAS’s continued support for the successful delivery of this event. The National Olympic and Sports Committee of Senegal, represented at the ceremony by its first vice-president, Mr Momar Mbaye, and its secretary-general, Mr Seydina Omar Diagne, warmly welcomed this initiative. Mr Mbaye emphasised the importance of supporting young talent and promoting sport at all levels. He said that, although these Games are being organised in Senegal, they represent the entire African continent. He expressed his gratitude for this significant contribution from ECOWAS, which is essential to ensuring the success and high standard of the competition’s organisation, providing an unforgettable experience for all participants. The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, organised under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, will bring together young athletes aged between 14 and 17 from all over the world. This event, which ensures perfect gender parity, represents a unique opportunity to strengthen regional unity through sport, whilst celebrating the excellence and diversity of African youth talent. This financial contribution from ECOWAS forms part of the implementation of a partnership agreement signed in 2022 between the ECOWAS Commission and the National Olympic and Sports Committee of Senegal.