The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has called for greater involvement of young people in shaping the policies that affect their lives and the future of Ghana.
He said young people should not be treated as passive recipients of government decisions but must be recognised as co-creators and authors of the country’s future.
According to the Minister, involving young people in policy formulation must not be treated as an afterthought. He stressed the need for their voices to be heard throughout the entire policy-making process, not just at its conclusion.
Mr Opare Addo made these remarks at the maiden National Youth Forum, which brought young people together to discuss the challenges confronting them and contribute ideas toward finding sustainable solutions.
He explained that the forum was designed to be more than just a platform for young people to speak ,it was meant to be an opportunity for them to actively participate in the development process and leave with a genuine sense that they had helped shape policies and decisions.
The Minister urged the youth in attendance to make the most of the platform by sharing practical solutions that could be adopted and implemented to address their concerns.
He further reiterated government’s commitment to working with young people to develop policies and programmes that respond to their aspirations and create meaningful opportunities for their participation in national development.
