In eight countries stretching from the Sahel to the Atlantic coast, a new effort is gathering pace to understand — and ultimately transform — what it means to be young and seeking work. The International Labour Organization and the Mastercard Foundation have joined forces on a major analytical initiative covering every nation in the West African Economic and Monetary Union: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.
The project draws on newly harmonized household survey data — a significant methodological leap that allows researchers to compare conditions across borders in ways that weren't previously possible. By producing comparable statistical briefs for each country, the ILO and its partner aim to build a clearer picture of the obstacles young people face and what solutions might actually work.
Across the region, young people contend with labour markets dominated by informal work, where stable contracts and social protections are rare. Employment clusters heavily in low-productivity agriculture, offering limited income and few pathways to advancement. The burdens fall unevenly: young women, people with disabilities, and those living in rural areas all face steeper challenges than their peers. Rapid population growth adds further urgency, expanding the pool of job seekers faster than the economy can absorb them.
For policymakers, the initiative offers something valuable: a shared evidence base. When governments in Dakar, Ouagadougou, and Abidjan can point to the same data, conversations about training programmes, social protection, and private sector development become more concrete and harder to defer. The briefs are designed not just for researchers but for the ministries, NGOs, and foundations working on the ground to create opportunities.
This phase of work builds on years of collaboration between the ILO and the Mastercard Foundation, which has made youth employment a centrepiece of its strategy across Africa. The partnership reflects a growing recognition that good intentions require rigorous data to back them up — and that the eight countries of WAEMU, home to tens of millions of young people, deserve both.