Sierra Leone: ECOWAS concludes three years of service for nine volunteers in Freetown

Nine volunteers from the ECOWAS Volunteer Programme completed three years of dedicated service in Sierra Leone on August 20, 2026, during a closing ceremony held at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development in Freetown. The event, distributed by APO Group on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States, brought together government officials, ECOWAS representatives, supervisors, and host institutions. The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Komba Momoh, Deputy Secretary for Development II and Head of the ECOWAS National Office, who praised the volunteers' contributions to their host structures. The National Programme Coordinator, Mr. Preaches G. Gbessagee, read a farewell message on behalf of the Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre, Francis Njoaguani, inviting the volunteers to remain connected to the « ECOWAS family ». The ECOWAS Resident Representative, Ambassador John Azumah, described them as « ECOWAS ambassadors » and encouraged them to continue their engagement in their communities. The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Kenyeh Barlay, praised their « dedication » and « selfless service » to schoolchildren, patients, and youth, viewing it as a contribution to regional solidarity and integration. On behalf of the group, Mr. Obinna Joseph Ziba thanked the ECOWAS Commission. Certificates and traditional Sierra Leonean attire were presented to the nine volunteers. This initiative strengthens the technical capacities of Sierra Leonean social sectors facing human resource constraints, while building a pool of mobile regional professionals. For ECOWAS, which has faced regular criticism since the coups d'état...