Unlocking Youth Potential: Youth for Governance project advocates greater youth involvement in Governance

In a bid to harness the potential of young people in Ghana to facilitate community and national development, the Youth for Governance (Y4G) project is advocating greater involvement of young people in governance and decision-making processes at all levels of society.

The Y4G project, implemented by the CYIB-Curious Minds (CM) Ghana in the Kperisi community in the Wa Municipality with funding from STAR-Ghana Foundation and Hewlett Foundation, sought to mobilise youth volunteers to advocate effective and meaningful youth participation in governance and decision-making.

As part of the advocacy activities, CM–Ghana facilitated a radio discussion on the barriers inhibiting meaningful youth participation in decision-making and governance in Ghana, particularly in the Upper West Region.

The advocacy activity was on the topic “Unlocking Youth Potential: Overcoming Barriers and Meaningful Youth Engagement in Governance” on the Ti Beo Gyine (Our Future Today) programme on Info Radio in Wa over the weekend.

Speaking on the programme, Mr Mumuin Suleymana, the Executive Director of Youth Placement for Employability Solutions (Y-PES) Ghana, stressed the need for capacity building so that young people can play active roles in decision-making and governance wherever they find themselves.

He indicated, for instance, that youth were often sidelined in projects designed for their benefit, resulting in minimal engagement and poor sustainability.

He, therefore, advocated the adoption of what he described as the “Positive Youth Development” approach, which promoted youth leadership and active participation, with the older generation playing supportive and facilitative roles.

“We cannot plan for the youth without the youth. They (the youth) must be part of the journey from beginning to end if we want sustainable solutions”, Mr Suleymana stated.

He also mentioned with worry, the negative influence of cultural norms, especially in northern Ghana, that stifled youth participation in governance and decision-making processes.

Mr Suleymana explained that respect for elders, for instance, while important, often led to silencing youth voices and missed opportunities for young people to contribute to decision-making and development in general.

On his part, Mr Ahmed Salifu, the President of the Fulbe Youth Association of Ghana (FUYAG), noted that in many parts of the country, youth involvement in governance and decision-making was virtually non-existent.

He said that resulted in neglect or inappropriate representation of the concerns of young people in such decisions and policy formulation.

 “We (the youth) are faced with problems, yet we are not allowed to contribute to solving those problems. Those who claim to represent us barely touch on the real issues we face”, Mr Salifu explained.

He pointed out that without proper youth representation and opportunities to participate in governance, young people remained disempowered.

Mr Salifu, therefore, called for structures and policies that allowed young people to lead, learn, and participate meaningfully in governance processes without any impediments.

To change the narrative and ensure youth participation in governance and decision-making, the panellists recommended leadership mentorship for young people and institutional reforms to recognise youth engagement as necessary for development.

It also suggested implementing deliberate inclusionary policies to promote youth involvement in governance and a general change in the mindsets of young people to recognise their responsibilities in contributing to national development and to develop resilience against the culture of silence perpetrated against them.