The ECOWAS Parliament is launching a major public awareness campaign across West Africa to tackle the rising dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking.
The initiative, titled “Parliamentary Citizen Engagement on the Dangers of Irregular Migration and Modern Slavery,” will take place in two separate phases throughout July 2026. The first leg of the campaign is scheduled to run in Banjul, The Gambia, and its surrounding communities from 6 to 10 July. The second phase will move to Dakar, Senegal, from 13 to 17 July.
Shift to local language focus
In a shift from standard parliamentary procedures, the regional body announced it will bypass its traditional practice of deploying regional journalists to cover the event. Instead, the campaign will rely heavily on local journalists and community media on the ground.
According to parliamentary officials, the strategy change is designed to reflect the “community-based, local-language nature” of the outreach, ensuring that vital safety messages resonate deeply with the targeted populations.
”This is to ensure that the citizen engagement receives the widest possible visibility across the Parliament’s media network,” said Uchenna Duru-Nwaotule, Chief Communication Officer for the ECOWAS Parliament.
Regional syndication
While regional correspondents will not travel for the events, the ECOWAS Parliamentary Press Corps has been instructed to widely syndicate and publish daily multimedia content, including photographs and video feeds, provided by the local teams within 24 hours of receipt.
The campaign comes amid ongoing international concerns over the perilous migration routes used by West African youths seeking transit to Europe, often exposing them to exploitation and modern-day slavery
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