West Africa Youth Days convene in Accra, Ghana

The 2026 West Africa Youth Days are currently taking place in Accra, Ghana, bringing together Catholic youth from 16 West African nations. Organized by the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA), the five-day event runs from September 7 to September 11 under the theme, “Take Courage: Catholic Youth as Actors and Agents of Peace and Hope in West Africa.”

During the opening ceremonies, various leaders addressed the delegates on critical social and spiritual issues. Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, urged young people to act as responsible digital citizens to combat misinformation and ethnic tensions spread via social media. Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, spoke on the sanctity of life, challenging youth to reject abortion and support women in crisis pregnancies.

Additionally, Pope Leo XIV issued a video message encouraging the participants to be “builders of bridges” between different cultures and religions. The gathering aims to empower youth to address regional challenges, including climate change, leadership, peacebuilding, and the fight against terrorism and conflict.