It said it had been a year since the launch of the new National Youth Policy, however, sensitisation, advocacy and discussion on the Policy had been very minimal, especially among the various youth groups.

Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu Alhassan, Technical Advisor for Youth Advocacy and Gender at YEFL-Ghana, who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale, said although the National Youth Policy Champions had undertaken series of campaigns, government through the National Youth Authority (NYA) at the regional and district levels could have done better.

He expressed the need for government to adopt a youth centric approach, which would require the involvement of young people in decision-making processes and ensure that their voices were head, while at the same time tailoring the policy initiative to meet their specific needs and aspirations.

He said, “The NYA should actively engage with youth-led organisations, including YEFL-Ghana to ensure that their expertise was taken into account during the policy implementation.”

Mr. Alhassan proposed that the NYA should prioritise a five percent allocation of its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to support in the implementation of the Policy.
He said, “Without adequate funding, the Policy’s objectives cannot be achieved and its potential impact on skilling the youth will be limited.”

He called for transparent reporting and regular update to the public on the progress of the Policy implementation, adding “Transparent reporting will help build trust and accountability among stakeholders to demonstrate government’s commitment to the development of the youth.”

The National Youth Policy (2022 – 2032) was formulated and launched last year to provide guidelines for all stakeholders involved in the implementation of policies, programmes and projects for the development of the youth.

Mr. Alhassan emphasised that as the country joined the rest of the world to commemorate this year’s International Youth Day celebration, slated for August 20, 2023, there was need for the country to implement the Policy to help give voice and hope to the youth.