By Dennis Peprah, GNA
Sunyani (Bono), Aug. 24, GNA – Ghana is set to host the ‘Future Cities for Adolescent’ (FCA) Conference 2026 under the Ghana Resilient City for Adolescents Project being funded by Fondation Botnar through Ecorys, United Kingdom.
The Global Media Foundation (GloMef) in partnership with the Citizens Watch (CWG) and the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (IWEN), non-governmental organisations are organizing the conference scheduled for August 26, 2026, in Accra.
“Future Cities for Adolescent Conference is a national conference dedicated to promoting healthy, inclusive and resilient cities for adolescents”, a statement issued and signed by Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Chief Executive Officer of the GloMeF indicated.
The conference will bring together adolescents and young people, policymakers, development practitioners, urban planners, civil society organisations, educators, health professionals, and local government authorities.
Among other objectives, the participants will devise strategies towards advancing a new vision for adolescent-friendly cities in Ghana.
On the theme: “Reimagining Ghana’s cities for adolescent health, inclusion and resilience,” the conference further seeks to put the adolescent at the centre of national conversations on the future of the nation’s cities and urban communities.
A copy of the statement made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) noted that: “The conference comes at a time when rapid urbanisation is creating both opportunities and challenges for young people”.
It said Ghana’s cities ought to be better prepared to respond to the health, social, educational, environmental, economic and protection needs of adolescents.
The statement indicated that adolescents and young people constituted an important part of the nation’s population and that their voices and lived experiences ought to reflect in urban planning, public service delivery, and local decision-making.
It said that the FCA 2026 would provide a platform for adolescents to move beyond being passive beneficiaries of development programmes to becoming active participants, innovators and co-creators of the cities in which they live, learn, work and grow.
A major focus of the conference will be adolescent health and wellbeing, including access to quality and adolescent-responsive health services, mental health and psychosocial support as well as sexual and reproductive health information, safe schools and communities.
Participants will also examine challenges confronting adolescents in rapidly changing urban environments, including violence, discrimination, social exclusion, unemployment, unsafe public spaces, climate-related risks, digital inequalities and limited opportunities for meaningful participation in governance.
The statement added that the conference would also promote stronger collaboration between young people and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), government institutions, civil society organisations and development partners and the private sector.
It will feature expert panel discussions, youth-led dialogues and interactive sessions with participants exploring practical approaches to making Ghanaian cities more inclusive, safe, sustainable, climate-resilient and responsive to adolescent needs.
The statement explained that the FCA 2026 would also recognize adolescents as important partners in development with young people having the opportunity to share their experiences.
They will also identify challenges affecting their communities and propose innovative solutions for creating safer, healthier, and more inclusive urban environments.
It added that the event would also highlight the importance of investing in digital innovation, education, skills development, entrepreneurship, sports, culture, and civic participation.
Those are the pathways for strengthening adolescent resilience and preparing young people for a rapidly changing world.
The event represents a call for a new approach to urban development, and calls on national and local authorities, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector, academia and the media to join the conversation.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Dennis Peprah, GNA
[email protected]