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

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On the fringes of the ECOWAS Youth Assembly, the National Youth Forum of Senegal, held in Dakar, Senegal, on 26 and 27 November 2024, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Youth and Sports Development Centre, presented a cheque for $300,000 to the National Olympic and Sports Committee of Senegal (CNOSS) in support of 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 Olympism. 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 Youth and Sports Development Centre and Acting Resident Representative of ECOWAS in Burkina Faso, along with several other high-ranking officials, also attended the event. This partnership demonstrates ECOWAS’s commitment to sport and youth development whilst upholding the principles of equal opportunity. The allocated funds will support the organisation and promotion of this global 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 provides athletes from the Community’s Member States with the opportunity to compete internationally. She assured the Senegalese government of ECOWAS’s continued support for the successful organisation 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. According to him, 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, whilst 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 14 to 17 from around 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.