By: Fredrick Ezeh

The Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode was among the dioceses represented at the maiden edition of the West Africa Youth Days (WAYD), held at Achimota, Accra, in the Republic of Ghana, from the 7th to the 12th of September, 2026.

Convened under the theme “Take Courage: Catholic Youth as Actors and Agents of Peace and Hope in West Africa,” the gathering brought together thousands of young Catholics from across the sub-region for six days of prayer, catechesis, cultural exchange and fellowship.

The Diocese was represented by a delegation of TEN, drawn evenly from its three youth bodies the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON), the Young Catholic Students (YCS) and the Young Missionary Movement (POF-YOMM). Each association sent two young people accompanied by a chaplain. The POF-YOMM delegation comprised Rev. Fr. Paul Oshunsanya, Diocesan Chaplain, alongside Miss Esther Nwachukwu, Diocesan Provost, and this writer.

Nigeria fielded approximately sixty delegates from dioceses including Abeokuta, Lagos, Bauchi, Abakaliki, Onitsha, Owerri, Kaduna, Abuja, Warri and Ijebu-Ode. Before departure, the national contingent gathered at the Domus Marie Social Centre for an orientation led by Rev. Fr. Boniface Idoko, National Youth Animator of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, who also led the Nigerian delegation throughout the gathering.

The Opening Mass was celebrated by Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, and concelebrated by Archbishops, Bishops and Priests from across West Africa. The Official Opening Ceremony that followed was graced by the presence of Her Excellency, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, whose attendance underlined the regard in which the host nation held the gathering.

The days that followed offered catechesis with Bishops in English and French, workshops on digital evangelisation, climate justice and enterprise, and a panel dialogue on the Catholic youth response to violent extremism in West Africa. The Cultural Night, in which each country presented music, dance and drama from its heritage, proved among the most memorable sessions — the Nigerian delegation presenting with colour and confidence. A Marian Walk and visits to selected parishes in Accra brought the delegates into the everyday life of the Church in Ghana.

At the Solemn Closing Mass at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Accra, the President of the Reunion of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA), His Lordship, Most Rev. Alexis Touably Youlo, announced that the next West Africa Youth Days will hold in 2029 and will be hosted by a Francophone country, whose identity is to be disclosed in due course.

The delegates returned home grateful, and charged to live as witnesses of Christ and promoters of peace and hope within the parishes and youth associations of the Diocese.