Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has urged young people across West Africa to take an active role in promoting peace, strengthening regional integration and building a more prosperous future for the region.
Speaking at West African Youth Day 2026 in Accra, a gathering of young people and Catholic advocates, the Vice President said the theme, “Take Courage: Catholic Youth as Actors and Agents of Peace and Hope in West Africa,” was a call for collective action in addressing the challenges confronting the sub-region.
She noted that West Africa’s youthful population presented enormous opportunities through its energy, creativity and potential, but warned that insecurity, violent extremism, economic pressures, irregular migration, disinformation and climate change continued to threaten communities.
According to her, the challenges were cross-border in nature and therefore required cooperation among governments, communities, civil society and other stakeholders.
The Vice President said the government was implementing several initiatives aimed at equipping young people with the skills and resources needed to build sustainable livelihoods.
She highlighted entrepreneurship support, the National Apprenticeship Programme and efforts to provide young Ghanaians with technical skills suited to a rapidly changing economy.
She described investments in youth as not only economic interventions but also measures that could contribute to national stability and prosperity.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang also commended the Catholic Church for its longstanding contribution to Ghanaian society and its role in promoting human dignity, justice and peace.
She said the Church’s presence across West Africa placed it in a strong position to build relationships among communities and across national borders.
The Vice President encouraged participants from different West African countries to use the gathering to build friendships and develop a deeper understanding of one another.
President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Akwasi Gyamfi, also urged young people across West Africa to take an active role in promoting peace, justice and hope in the sub-region.
Bishop Gyamfi said young people were not merely preparing to take over the Church and society in the future, but were already important participants in the life and mission of the Church.
He said the energy, creativity, courage, faith and commitment of the youth could contribute significantly to the renewal of families, communities, institutions and societies.
Bishop Gyamfi acknowledged the challenges confronting West Africa, including armed conflicts, political instability, corruption, youth violence, forced migration, social inequalities, extremism and environmental degradation.
He, however, encouraged the youth not to surrender to fear or despair, but to become agents of peace and hope.
Story by : Akoro Kofi Darko
