Across West Africa, young people are no longer waiting on the sidelines of peace processes. From Cameroon to Nigeria and Ghana, youth-led organizations are demonstrating that young people are not just victims of conflict, but vital architects of peace.
Peace News Network (PNN) spoke to youth peacebuilders across the region, alongside institutional partners, to explore how their efforts are reshaping societies once divided by mistrust and violence.
Cameroon: From Conflict to a Culture of Peace
The Anglophone Crisis is an ongoing conflict in Cameroon between separatists seeking an independent Ambazonia, and the government. It began in 2016 after authorities violently suppressed peaceful protests against marginalization. The conflict has caused a major humanitarian crisis, displacing hundreds of thousands and forcing tens of thousands to flee the country.
For Bochum Samuel Bache, the Malingo Buea-based founder and executive Director of Youth Advocates for Peace and Community Empowerment Cameroon (YAPCEC), and director of Peace Academy, peacebuilding has been a lifelong commitment.
“Since 2016, with the outbreak of the crisis, many young people were not actually aware or engaging in anything concerning peacebuilding. But the challenges they face have now made them more aware of the consequences of the conflict that has destabilized their day-to-day functioning as well as their career advancement,” he told PNN.
Through YAPCEC, which was officially registered in 2017, Bache and his team have concentrated on advocacy, capacity building, and policy engagement. These three areas allow the organization to meaningfully contribute at community, regional, and even international levels for peace, youth empowerment, good governance, and social development.
Despite successes, challenges remain. “Some institutions, communities, leaders, and even youth groups shy away from peacebuilding because of fear or suspicions that initiatives may represent government interests,” Bache admitted. However, he stressed that through the organization’s “objectivity, neutrality, and use of social media for transparency,” it has been able to build trust and sustain collaboration.
Expanding Beyond Cameroon
For Bache, YAPCEC’s impact has grown beyond national borders. The organization now has representatives in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
He says YAPCEC will continue to amplify its voice by celebrating International Day of Peace. The cross-border presence, he said, is evidence of a “pan-African commitment” to peace that goes beyond local conflict resolution.
The Peace Academy
In 2020, YAPCEC established the Peace Academy to institutionalize peace education. For the past five years, the organization has been training youth to be globally certified advocates for peace. Bache further explained that its vision is for the peace academy to become the peace center that will train leaders across the borders to help contribute for peace for a possible change in the society.
Ghana: Football and Digital Dialogue as Tools for Peace
In Northern Ghana, rising conflicts between local farmers and nomadic Fulani or Fulbe herdsmen have led to loss of lives and property. The main cause is limited grazing land, prompting herders’ cattle to invade farmlands and destroy crops, escalating tensions.
The Fulani Youth Association of Ghana (FUYAG), led by its national president Ahmed Barry, has been at the forefront of redefining peace narratives around farmer-herder conflicts. Barry told PNN that traditionally, discussions around Ghana’s Fulani community, particularly on farmer-herder conflicts, were dominated by government officials and community elders. “FUYAG was founded to fundamentally shift this dynamic,” he said.
He said youth can communicate in ways that are relatable and trusted by their peers, while their deep cultural understanding allows them to navigate traditional structures respectfully.
He further explained that FUYAG’s flagship project, the Football for Peace & Digital Dialogue initiative, creatively used sport to bridge divides. The initiative, he said, gained international recognition because a 2022 WANEP-Ghana report on “Local Solutions to Farmer-Herder Conflicts” highlighted the initiative as a “best practice example of using sport and youth engagement to build social cohesion.”
Barry said before and after each match, they held facilitated dialogues where young people from both sides could speak openly about their grievances, fears, and aspirations. They complimented this with a digital campaign using Facebook and WhatsApp, sharing stories and photos from the tournament with messages of unity, using hashtags like #OneCommunityGH and #GoalsForPeace.
On the impact, he explains, “We organized a community football tournament, deliberately creating mixed teams of young Fulani herdsmen and local Akan farmers. Playing together fostered camaraderie and humanized the ‘other.’ In the six months after, authorities reported a 40% decrease in minor clashes,” Barry said.
But challenges persist. “When we enter a new community, we are often met with resistance from both sides,” Barry said. “Some farmers see us as advancing a Fulani agenda, while some in our own community accuse us of not defending Fulani interests strongly enough,” he added.
Still, Barry is optimistic, saying that members of FUYAG see themselves as “architects of a new social contract,” one where the Fulani community is recognized not as a problem, but as an integral part of Ghanaian society.
Nigeria: Turning Youth Bulge into Peace Dividend
In Nigeria, apart from farmer-herders conflict in the North, South West, South East and North Central regions, there are also ethnic and religious related conflicts spread across the country which have claimed lives and properties.
Children and Young People Living for Peace (CYPLP), led by Executive Director Dennis Ekwere, views the country’s youth population as an asset. “We recognize the youth bulge as an advantage. Young people understand local problems deeply, and when actively involved, they are solutions. That is why we are stepping up to mediate conflicts, lead community discussions, and run campaigns that promote understanding and unity,” Ekwere told PNN.
CYPLP has a three-pronged model to fight violent extremism: sport, digital campaigns, and community dialogues. Ekwere said its work inspires youth across West Africa by proving that young people are not simply victims or perpetrators, but effective architects of peace, using “homegrown and grassroots solutions.”
He added that the organization serves as a powerful, replicable model for young West Africans. One of their most successful projects was in northern Nigeria. “Through our ‘Building Positive Peace through Arts and Sport’ project, previously suspicious youth became teammates, reducing tensions and stereotypes. Shared activity proved to be a powerful way to make peace happen on the ground,” Ekwere said.
For Ekwere, the long-term vision is to transform the youth population into the nation’s core peace dividend.
Institutional Support: National Peace Council in Ghana
Youth-led efforts are increasingly supported by institutions. Felicia Fordjour Oppong, Programmes Manager at the National Peace Council, Ghana, highlighted the role of youth in peacebuilding. “We recognize the crucial role young people play in peacebuilding and work closely with them to amplify their voices and initiatives,” Felicia told PNN.
The Council provides training, funding access, and networking opportunities for youth groups. One notable collaboration is the Peace Sports Program, run with WANEP-Ghana. “This program has brought together youth from different backgrounds, fostering unity and a shared purpose,” Fordjour Oppong said.
However, she cautioned that sustainability remains a challenge. “Youth-led organizations face limited funding, lack of capacity, and sustainability issues. Our role is to help bridge these gaps through capacity building and stronger networks.”
Keywords: West Africa, youth, peace, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, conflict, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, youth peacebuilding
Mohammed Ibrahim
Mohammed is a multimedia freelance journalist in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He graduated from the International Institute of Journalism Abuja. In 2016 Mohammed received the Courage in Journalism Award for his investigative reporting, from the Africa Media Development Foundation.
