Street Children Crisis Deepens: ECOWAS Parliament Moves To Close Protection Gaps Across West Africa
As economic hardship, displacement and rapid urbanisation push more children onto the streets across West Africa, regional lawmakers are shifting from rhetoric to action with a new set of protective measures.
The ECOWAS Parliament has adopted strategic and actionable steps aimed at safeguarding children in street situations and tackling exploitation across Member States.
The decision followed a high-level Joint Committee meeting held from 7-11 April 2026, bringing together parliamentarians, government officials, ECOWAS institutions and civil society actors.
Central to the resolutions is a strong call for Member States to move beyond policy declarations and implement well-funded national strategies that guarantee vulnerable children access to education, healthcare, legal identity and child-friendly justice systems.
“We must move beyond policy frameworks to concrete implementation, supported by clear targets and adequate financing,” the Joint Committee stressed, highlighting weak law enforcement and limited institutional capacity as persistent barriers.
The Parliament also urged governments to address root causes such as poverty and weak social protection systems by strengthening family support structures and expanding welfare programmes to prevent children from ending up on the streets.
Recognising that child vulnerability often cuts across borders, the Committee emphasised the need for a harmonised regional framework.
It called for data-driven decision-making, improved data collection systems, and coordinated case management to ensure continuity of care for children on the move.
To reinforce these efforts, the ECOWAS Commission has been tasked with establishing cross-border protection and referral systems, alongside safe repatriation and reintegration protocols.
The ECOWAS Child Rights Information Management System was identified as a key tool for tracking interventions and strengthening accountability.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment to legislative action, including plans to push for a Parliamentary Resolution that will enhance monitoring and enforcement of child protection frameworks across the region.
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