The Church in Ghana will host the first-ever West Africa Youth Day (Accra 2026) in September 2026, bringing together thousands of Catholic youth from across West Africa for a week of faith, fellowship, and cultural celebration.
Gerald Ekow Woode – Accra.
Organised under the auspices of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA/CERAO) and the Regional Coordination of Catholic Youth in West Africa (RECCYWA), the event seeks to deepen the spiritual life of young Catholics, strengthen cross-cultural ties, and promote missionary engagement across West Africa.
The West Africa Youth Day (Accra 2026) will span 10 days, divided into two main phases -days in the Diocese and the main event in Accra. The program is expected to attract at least 100 delegates from each participating national conference, alongside hundreds of local youth from Ghana’s 20 dioceses and archdioceses.
Pastoral immersion in dioceses
The first five days of the West Africa Youth Day (Accra 2026) will see participants dispersed across the five host dioceses of Kumasi, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Ho, and Sekondi-Takoradi for pastoral immersion and local engagement. Activities will include parish Masses, cultural exchanges, games, community service, and interactions with local youth movements.
Each host diocese’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) will coordinate hospitality, liturgy, and cultural experiences, providing pilgrims a firsthand encounter with Ghana’s rich Catholic heritage and hospitality.
The main event in Accra
After five days of diocesan immersion, all delegations will converge in Accra for the grand four-day celebration, which will be the climax of the West Africa Youth Day (Accra 2026) experience. Hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, the main event will feature catechesis, Eucharistic celebrations, workshops, cultural showcases, and opportunities for missionary commitment and fellowship.
Planning, fundraising, and collaboration
The Central Planning Committee (CPC), chaired by Fr. James Bour-Mensah and endorsed by Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp and Bishop John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, has outlined a comprehensive structure for the successful organisation of the event. A multi-level fundraising strategy will mobilise both local and international support, engaging dioceses, Catholic societies, corporate sponsors, benefactors, and government agencies.
WYD Accra 2026 -the Journey ahead
The official launch of the West Africa Youth Day (Accra 2026) is slated for November 2025 in Accra, when Ghana will receive the Youth Day Cross and the Icon of Mary -symbols of unity, pilgrimage, and devotion from RECOWA.
The event will also unveil the official logo, and prayer, signaling the beginning of a continental journey of faith leading up to 2026.
Africa Youth Day (Accra 2026) will not only be a historic first but also a defining moment of Catholic unity, youth empowerment, and regional solidarity.
