YEFL-Ghana proposes national youth dialogue on Ministry’s youth development’s priorities  

By Albert Futukpor

Accra, April 07, GNA – YEFL-Ghana, an NGO, has proposed a national youth dialogue to unpack the priorities of the newly established Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment.  

This is to foster inclusive discussions that shape youth development policies and strategies in the country. 

The organisation also recommended the establishment of a Youth Development Reporting Tracker (both online and offline) to monitor the implementation of youth-focused government initiatives, civil society interventions, and national youth policies. 

The proposals were presented when officials of YEFL-Ghana paid courtesy call on the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment and the new leadership of the National Youth Authority (NYA) in Accra. 

The engagement formed part of the organisation’s activities under the Empowerment for Life (E4L) Programme. 

During the visit, YEFL-Ghana congratulated the Minister and NYA leadership on their appointments, introduced their youth empowerment work, and shared key insights from recent research on youth financing and development in the northern part of the country. 

The team also advocated a clearly defined formula for disbursing the five per cent District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) allocation to NYA emphasising the need for structured, short- and long-term investments in youth development. 

In response, Mr George Opare Addo, Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment welcomed the proposals and expressed the Ministry’s commitment to convening a national dialogue to shape a comprehensive National Youth Action Plan.  

He acknowledged the importance of the proposed reporting tracker as a valuable tool to enhance transparency and access to youth-related data. 

The Minister reaffirmed his commitment to amplifying youth voices in governance, which aligned with YEFL-Ghana’s Youth Parliament model.  

YEFL-Ghana expressed optimism about future collaboration, emphasising the importance of policies that reflected the true aspirations of Ghanaian youth. 

The E4L Programme seeks to strengthen resilience, equity, and accountable governance in northern Ghana by supporting civil society organisations.  

Its youth thematic area promotes employability and inclusion in decision-making.  

The E4L Programme operates in 10 districts across the Northern, North East, and Savannah Regions and implemented by four local partners with funding from Civil Society in Development (CISU) through Ghana Venskab, a Danish organisation. 

GNA 

EA/LAA