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Founder and Chairperson of Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC), Samira Bawumia, has called on all stakeholders — governments, civil society and the private sector—to invest in Africa-led, youth-powered climate solutions that are both locally grounded and globally relevant.
While recognising progress, she emphasised the need for greater funding, cross-border collaboration and policy integration to scale those efforts up continent-wide.
Mrs Bawumia was delivering the opening address at the 2025 Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC), which commenced last Monday in Accra.
The two-day conference, on the theme: "Young Voices, Innovative Ideas, Greater Impact for Africa," builds on the momentum of a six-point communiqué launched at the inaugural event in 2023.
The communiqué emphasises climate solutions that centre on women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
The opening session featured goodwill messages, an innovation pitch by young climate activists and a high-level panel discussion on the topic: "Positioning Youth in Climate Policy & Leadership: Driving Agenda 2063."
Notable among the attendees were the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ghana, Zia Choudhurry; Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Myriam Montrat; Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, Dr John Mikal Kvistad; the Group Head Marketing, Zenith Bank, Gloria A. F. Cabutey-Adodoadji, and the Executive Director of Ark Foundation Ghana, Dr Angela Dwamena-Aboagye.
Mrs Bawumia highlighted concrete steps taken to position African youth and women as leaders in climate action.
Central to the efforts, she said, were youth-focused dialogues, including the launch of the Africa Students for Climate Action Assembly in 21 schools earlier this year and the widely attended NextGen Youth Climate Forum during the African Climate Summit in Addis Ababa last month.
These initiatives aim to shift young Africans from being passive recipients to active architects of climate solutions, promoting grassroots innovation, education and systemic change.
"In doing so, AFRIWOCC reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that young Africans are not only spectators but core architects of Africa's climate future," she said.
"But I must say, all of these achievements notwithstanding, we also have a long way to go. Many of the commitments of 2023 remain partially realised or aspirational, especially in terms of scaling funding so that we can reach everyone.
The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana reaffirmed Canada’s long-standing partnership with Ghana in advancing inclusive education, skills training and climate resilience.
Ms Montrat highlighted the link between climate change and education, stating that extreme weather events had disrupted schooling for millions, with students in low-income countries losing up to 18 days annually.
She reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to inclusive, climate-resilient development in Ghana and across Africa.
"Climate change is increasingly disrupting education systems.
Between 2022 and 2024, extreme weather events affected the education of 400 million children, with 81 countries temporarily having to close schools."
"As usual, funds are used for climate change mitigation efforts, such as solar power, boreholes, and monitoring rain frequency and volume.
I am pleased that influential partners of Canada's climate projects are participating in this forum," she said.
The Group Head of Marketing at Zenith Bank Ghana reaffirmed the bank’s strong commitment to the mission of the Africa Women and Children Conference.
Ms Cabutey-Adodoadji highlighted Zenith Bank’s 20-year journey in Ghana, celebrating its role not only as a financial institution but as a catalyst for social impact.
She said the bank’s approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR)—centred on education, health care, youth empowerment, women’s inclusion and environmental sustainability — was presented as integral to its identity, not a side effort.
Ms Cabutey-Adodoadji described AFRIWOCC not just as a conference, but a movement; one that aligns closely with Zenith Bank’s values of inclusive growth, purposeful innovation and measurable impact.
