The West Africa Civic Space Index, developed under the CiviConnect platform (www.civiconnect.org), represents a significant endeavor to assess and measure the state of civic space across ten countries in the West African region. The countries involved in this project are Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. This initiative is driven by the imperative to provide a nuanced understanding of the environment in which civil society organizations, activists, and ordinary citizens operate, with a particular emphasis on empowering and promoting the active engagement of youth-led organizations in civil society activities. This aligns with the overarching goals of the CiviConnect platform, which seeks to foster a collaborative environment that upholds and promotes civic freedoms, particularly with a focus on the meaningful participation of youth-led organizations in shaping the civic space landscape.

The project is underpinned by a commitment to fostering an environment that upholds and promotes civic freedoms, including the active engagement of youth organizations in civil society activities. Leveraging a multi-faceted approach, the West Africa Civic Space Index integrates a set of 12 main indicators, each comprising specific component measures and constituent factors. These indicators collectively shed light on the health of civic space, freedom of expression, association, and assembly in the region, aligning with the CiviConnect platform's mission to facilitate meaningful civic engagement and participation.

The West Africa Civic Space Index, in alignment with the CiviConnect platform, seeks to not only evaluate the state of civic space but also to advocate for and inspire citizen engagement, particularly among youth-led organizations, in efforts to expand and safeguard civic space in the region. This initiative resonates with the broader global discourse on the importance of civic space and the imperative to address challenges to civic freedoms, making it a pivotal component of the CiviConnect platform's mission to promote inclusive and participatory civic environments. The platform seeks to connect different actors interested in societal challenges, whether from civil society, the media, academics, or individual activists, to foster information sharing and the creation of alliances. It showcases information about campaigns and mobilizations in West Africa, facilitates collaboration and dialogue between civil society, media, and academics, fosters learning and information sharing on civic space developments and trends in the region. Additionally, the platform aims to increase joint strategic action and advocacy efforts on issues both at national and regional levels and engage influential policy actors, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The findings and insights generated by the West Africa Civic Space Index can be instrumental in driving positive change and improvement in the civic space landscape of the project countries. Indeed, the West Africa Civic Space Index can provide critical assessments of the issues that civil society faces in the region. By utilizing a comprehensive framework and a multi-dimensional approach, the index has the potential to identify areas for improvement and highlight trends in civic space developments, thereby informing strategic action and advocacy efforts at both national and regional levels.