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Govt launches ‘ECOWAS for All’ campaign to bridge gap between regional policies and citizens
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a national public sensitisation campaign dubbed “ECOWAS for All” to deepen citizens’ awareness and participation in regional integration.
Speaking at the launch in Accra, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, James Gyakye Quayson, said although ECOWAS has made significant strides in regional peace and security, free movement, trade and cooperation over the past five decades, many citizens remain unaware of the rights and opportunities available to them under various protocols.
He said the campaign seeks to bridge the knowledge gap between ECOWAS policies and the everyday experiences of ordinary Ghanaians.
Mr.Quayson cited visa-free travel within the Community, opportunities for regional trade under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), and the right to reside and establish businesses in other Member States as some key benefits of integration.
He explained that the campaign will adopt a citizen-centred approach, with stakeholder forums, market sensitisation at Makola and Madina markets, border engagements at Aflao and Elubo, media outreach, and student workshops.
According to him, these platforms will allow traders, transport operators, students and residents to raise concerns about customs procedures, documentation and border processes, while providing feedback to policymakers.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to “ECOWAS Vision 2050” and called on traders, transport operators, business associations, schools, the media and state agencies to support the campaign.
Chief Director of the Ministry, Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu, said the campaign represents Ghana’s practical contribution to transforming ECOWAS from a Community of States into a Community of People.
She said the Ministry, in collaboration with relevant MDAs, will take the campaign directly to communities and border areas to educate citizens and listen to their concerns, stressing that feedback from stakeholders will inform efforts to improve implementation of ECOWAS policies.
ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana, Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, described the campaign as timely, noting that integration can only achieve its full potential when its benefits are understood and accessible to ordinary citizens.
“ECOWAS is not merely an institution but a community of people whose success should ultimately be measured by the tangible improvements experienced in their daily lives,” he said.
He highlighted opportunities in trade, education, skills development and entrepreneurship, and pointed to initiatives such as the ECOWAS biometric ID system and the SIGMAT automated transit management platform designed to ease movement and trade.
Other speakers included Mr. Ahmed Tijani, Director at the Regional Integration Bureau, who said the campaign will heavily use local Ghanaian languages to ensure deeper penetration of its message.
Deputy Commissioner of Immigration and Head of Operations at the Ghana Immigration Service, Mr. Justice Amevor, stressed the need to strengthen implementation of the Free Movement Protocol, adding that the ECOWAS biometric identity card, known in Ghana as the Ghana Card, was introduced to harmonise travel documents and facilitate free movement.
Secretary-General of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, Mr. Richard Sarbah Eshun, also sensitised the public on the scheme, which facilitates compensation for victims of cross-border motor accidents.
The launch, held under the theme “Bringing ECOWAS Closer to the Citizen: Promoting Awareness, Participation and Opportunities for Regional Integration,” brought together members of the diplomatic corps, MDAs, ECOWAS institutions, business, civil society, academia and the media.
The campaign is expected to run over the coming months, with engagements aimed at making regional integration a practical reality in the lives of Ghanaians.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
ODORGONNO Senior High School (SHS) has won the maiden 2026 Senior High School Plastic Waste Reuse Innovation Awards, organised among five SHSs in Accra to promote plastic waste recycling and reuse.
Odorgonno SHS received a cash prize of GH¢8,000 after securing 97 points. Accra Senior High School placed second with 96 points and received GH¢4,000, while O’Reilly SHS placed third with 90 points and received GH¢2,000.
Forces Senior High Technical School placed fourth with 83 points, while St John’s Grammar SHS came fifth with 72 points. Both schools received GH¢1,000 each as cash prizes.
Outstanding students from the participating school clubs were also recognised with gold medals and certificates. St John’s Grammar SHS received five plastic recovery cages as the school with the highest volume of recovered plastic waste.
The awards formed part of the CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR) Schools Plastics Recovery Project, an initiative aimed at promoting plastic waste recovery, responsible environmental practices and the productive use of recovered materials.
The project included educational campaigns in all five participating schools, the provision of metal cages for plastic source segregation, an educational excursion to a Miniplast recycling factory and a plastics challenge that encouraged innovative reuse of plastic waste.
The Project Lead and Senior Research Scientist at CSIR-IIR, Dr Boniface Yeboah Antwi, said the project demonstrated how young people could become active contributors to solving Ghana’s environmental challenges while providing financial incentives to sustain their efforts.
He said when schools generated income from recovered materials, they could support the maintenance of collection infrastructure, reinforce responsible waste management and instil an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
Dr Antwi explained that within the first month, the participating schools recovered 1.5 tonnes, or 1,500 kilogrammes, of plastic waste—equivalent to the weight of approximately 15,000 one-litre water bottles.
He said the recovery generated GH¢2,000 in revenue for the schools, demonstrating that plastic waste could become a source of value rather than an environmental burden.
The Group Head of General Operations at OmniBSIC Bank, Mr Dominic Donkoh, urged the participating schools to sustain their plastic waste segregation, collection and sales activities.
He said the proceeds could support school environmental clubs and other worthwhile initiatives while providing students with practical lessons in saving, budgeting and responsible financial management.
“We encourage students to apply the financial literacy lessons acquired during this engagement. Learn to manage the proceeds from your recycling activities responsibly, appreciate the importance of saving, and explore innovative ways to create both environmental and financial value,” he added.
–GNA
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Parents have been urged to prioritise girls’ education over early marriage to protect them from losing their childhood, education and opportunities for a better future.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Girl Child Coordinator, Madam Margaret Blay, said child marriage disrupted girls’ education, threatened their health and well-being, and limited their ability to realise their full potential.
“Keep her in school, not in a man’s house,” she urged parents, stressing the need for families and communities to protect girls’ right to education and personal development.
She made the call in a welcome address at the 2026 celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, held under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Madam Blay said ending child marriage required collective action from parents, teachers, traditional leaders, government institutions and communities to ensure that girls were protected and given the opportunity to pursue their aspirations.
She noted that child marriage often forced girls out of school before they were physically, emotionally and socially prepared for the responsibilities associated with marriage.
She said investing in girls’ rights was not merely a moral obligation but also an investment in the future of communities and the nation.
According to her, girls who remained in school, had their voices heard and received the necessary support could grow into leaders, professionals, innovators and active contributors to national development.
Madam Blay called on teachers to protect girls’ access to education, create supportive learning environments and empower them to express themselves confidently.
She also appealed to traditional leaders to help address harmful cultural practices and social norms that denied girls opportunities to develop their potential.
The government and relevant institutions, she said, must strengthen the enforcement of child protection laws to ensure that every girl received adequate protection.
She further urged communities to speak out against child marriage, report cases and work together to create safe environments where girls could learn, grow and thrive.
Madam Blay said every girl deserved the freedom to dream, acquire an education and determine her own future.
She expressed the hope that the celebration would strengthen stakeholders’ collective resolve to end child marriage and invest in the rights, education and future of every girl.
Madam Karen Ama Moses, Assembly Member for the Takoradi Railway and Harbour Electoral Area, said keeping girls in school would lead to enlightened mothers, well-informed families, resilient communities and, ultimately, a better Ghana.
She stressed that no child should be forced into marriage, adding that “every child must have the freedom to learn, grow, dream and choose her future.”
Some of the schoolchildren expressed concern that their parents did not always listen to their concerns during difficult times, while others said some children were exposed to abuse and early marriage.
Madam Henrietta Quabu, the Metropolitan School Health Coordinator, urged children experiencing abuse or any situation that threatened their well-being to report to the police, the Department of Social Welfare, the media, their teachers or the Metropolitan Education Directorate for assistance.
— GNA
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