Introduction 

“How do we move from youth participation to youth impact?” asked David Quaye, Projects and Partnership Manager at Africa Governance Centre, during the panel Youth and Leadership: Filling the Gaps and Amplifying Young Voices. The panel was particularly relevant to me as it unpacked the leadership realities facing youth and women, questioned the strength of student movements and challenged young people to step confidently into political and civic leadership. David’s question stayed with me. It made me reflect not just on the role of youth in the region, but on my own role in organising the 2025 West Africa Civil Society Week (WACSW25). Had I simply participated in the process, or had my work created real impact? That moment framed the lessons, growth and experiences that shaped my journey behind the scenes of WACSW 2025. 

Since 2023, the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) in partnership with Spaces for Change Nigeria, has hosted the West Africa Civil Society Week (WACSW). This annual convening brings together civil society actors, academia, government officials, thought leaders, think thanks and civil society enthusiasts; to debate, share and exchange on the most pressing civic space issues and democratic development across the region. This year’s WACSW took place in Accra, Ghana from 19–20 November 2025 under the theme: “Redefining Civil Society and the Future of Democratic Resilience in West Africa.” 

I found myself this year at the heart of planning this event, engaging, coordinating and growing, doing so with utmost excellence, speed and awe. 

My supervisor, Omolara Balogun, has a unique way of giving challenges that initially feel daunting but ultimately bring out your best. “Dembo, you can get us names of professional bodies across Ghana and Nigeria,” she assigned during my very first meeting with the internal coordinating team. Omolara is the Head of the Policy Influencing and Advocacy Unit at WACSI and she chaired the planning committee for the WACSW 2025 and WACSI’s 20th Anniversary celebration. 

Her request immediately made me realise that I was stepping into something meaningful. The experience in this whole process revealed to me the power of leadership, the importance of coordination and the unstoppable force of teamwork. It also taught me courage, resilience and grit in ways I never expected. 

𝑶𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒏 (𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆) 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝑨𝑪𝑺𝑾25

Leadership That Inspires Action 

One of the biggest lessons I learnt coordinating the WACSW 2025 was the undeniable power of leadership. Omolara did not just give instructions; she provided clarity, direction and motivation. She guided the team through uncertainty with purpose and intentionality. Watching her lead showed me how leadership becomes meaningful when it creates an environment where everyone feels capable, trusted and inspired. 

A clear example was the emphasis on regional representation, particularly ensuring the participation of delegates from the Alliance of Sahel States. Omolara would often ask, “How do we bring them in?” That question opened the door to creative thinking, brainstorming and strategic partnership which eventually led to strong representation from those countries.  

Coordination: The Engine Behind the Process 

To use the cliché failing to plan is planning to fail, a reality that became evident throughout this experience. Aside from leadership, what kept the process moving smoothly was coordination. Before this experience, I never fully understood how much planning it takes to organise a regional gathering. Coordination was the heartbeat of this years’ WACSW. 

From aligning programme details to managing logistics for over two hundred participants, every task was a moving piece that needed careful attention. From this I understood that coordination requires effective communication, patience, multitasking, teamwork and the ability to manage pressure. 

𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 𝑷𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝑨𝑪𝑺𝑰 𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎

Community Beyond the Core Team 

One of the most inspiring parts of WACSW 2025 was seeing how a committed internal team could create an event that connects an entire region. Also, the leadership ensured clear roles, a fair division of labour and crosscutting support across the team. Beyond the internal WACSI team, we had the Regional Planning Committee, composed of highly experienced professionals from across West Africa and beyond. They provided technical guidance and the feedback from each meeting helped refine and strengthen the planning process for the event. My role included taking notes during meetings and following up on key action points.  

Watching participants from multiple countries engage, share and network reminded me that teamwork does not end within the team, it becomes a ripple effect that strengthens an entire ecosystem. 

Courage to Dare 

As an intern, I was constantly pushed beyond my comfort zone and I am grateful for every moment. I said, “Yes, I will do it,” to my first task. Then I said yes to many more. That is how I grew through this whole process. I said “Yes, I will do it,” before I knew how, trusting myself to learn quickly. 

Two months before the event, everyone, especially my senior colleagues, became extremely busy. That meant I had to draft and respond to more emails than I expected, some addressed to partners or executive directors. I was hesitant and nervous. But inside me there was a voice saying: DARE. 

My line supervisor, John P. Frinjuah, played a huge role in building my confidence. He went from calmly saying, “Draft an email for me to see,” to simply saying, “Send them an email.” That transition meant something: he trusted me. That trust strengthened my courage and sharpened my skills. 

𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒐, 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒂𝒉 (𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒇𝒊𝒕) 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔

Resilience and Grit 

In his book, The Art and Science of Consistent Leadership – Steady Steps to Extraordinary Impact, Charles Kojo Vandyck describes resilience as: “the ability to recover, to adapt and to keep going, even when it feels like the world has steamrolled over you.” I connected deeply with that line. 

With tight deadlines, growing expectations and pressure mounting in the final days, there were moments when I felt overwhelmed. Sometimes I had tasks assigned by four or five senior colleagues all marked urgent. Honestly it was intense. But I refused to break. I showed up every day with hunger, determination and grit. 

What helped me most was having an incredible work partner, Adelaide Tetteh, Executive Assistant at WACSI, who made work a lot easier for me, one task at a time. Her support helped me stay grounded and focused during the process. I came to realise that what matters most are the work partners you have and the small consistent tasks you accomplish, especially under pressure. As the pressure intensified, it was resilience that kept me going.  

Why WACSW Matters and Why It Must Be Sustained 

West Africa is a region facing democratic backsliding, insecurity and rising threats to civic freedoms as indicated in a report by the Media Foundation for West Africa on the state of freedom of expression in West Africa. I witnessed first-hand how WACSW has become a vital space for reflection, learning and collective problem-solving towards these threats. Even when discussions ran late into the evening, participants remained engaged, eager to exchange ideas. The conversations went beyond dialogue; they fostered collaboration, strengthened solidarity and encouraged coordinated action. I saw how local voices gained regional influence and how civil society actors used this space to build shared strategies and push for policies that advance rights, transparency and accountability. With such significance, I believe WACSW must be collectively owned and sustained. 

The success of this year’s convergence extended far beyond the WACSI coordination team. It was shaped by the Regional Planning Committee, partners and participants across the region. Collective ownership ensures not only diversity of thought but also shared responsibility, mutual support and solidarity among civic actors. As West Africa continues to navigate evolving civic and democratic challenges, sustaining the WACSW will secure a dedicated platform where ideas are shaped, alliances are built and regional solutions take form.  

𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 𝑷𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑾𝑨𝑪𝑺𝑾25

Going forward, WACSW organisers should reflect on past challenges and draw lessons from other major platforms. One such platform is the International Civil Society Week (ICSW), which offers valuable insights for increasing impact. This years’ ICSW ended with a declaration for stakeholders ‘to stand up and uphold democracy and civic freedoms.’ Like ICSW, WACSW has the potential to evolve from a successful regional gathering into a trusted and influential platform for civic space, democratic resilience and collective action. To achieve this, WACSW should diversify its thematic tracks, expand partnerships and produce strong follow-up outputs such as reports, communiqués and policy briefs to sustain momentum beyond the event. While the maiden WACSW 2023 did produce a communiqué, the last two did not. WACSW must be consistent in this practice and ensure that a communiqué is produced at every edition of the event to sustain the momentum. Beyond the production of formal outputs, WACSW should translate dialogue into concrete action through sustained post-event engagement, including joint advocacy, cross-border collaboration and coordinated monitoring of civic space. These actions would strengthen continuity between editions, deepen trust among civil society actors and enhance WACSW’s influence as a platform for democratic resilience and collective action in West Africa.  

Conclusion 

WACSW must be sustained because it provides a vital regional platform for collective action, democratic accountability and collaboration among civil society actors to address shared challenges across West Africa. The success of WACSW lies in collective ownership, continuous learning and the unwavering commitment of those who dare to lead, collaborate and act for a stronger, more democratic West Africa. Planning WACSW 2025 was more than an assignment, it was a transformative journey. It taught me how leadership inspires action, how coordination holds everything together and how teamwork creates impact beyond any single person. I am amazed at the success we registered in organising this year’s WACSW and humbled to see how my personal contributions helped shape that success. Through every challenge, I discovered courage, resilience and confidence I did not know I had and I learned that growth happens when we dare to step up, trust the process and give our best. 

About the author

Author profile

Dembo Bojang 

Dembo Bojang is a young Gambian development professional with a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of The Gambia. He has over three years of experience working with local civil society organisations, complemented by a six-month internship at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). 

His work focuses on promoting democracy and good governance, human rights, women’s empowerment, and environmental protection. Dembo is deeply committed to development work and to contributing to inclusive and sustainable change in The Gambia and the wider region. 

Related entries