We, Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF), congratulate the people of Ghana for a peaceful election and President elect Nana Akufo-Addo for the humility with which he accepted his election.
From a positive youth development perspective, YBF proposes the development of holistic interventions that build educational assets in the Ghanaian youth, in addition to working to develop an informed and empowered citizenry.
Noting that about 60% of the registered voter population are youth aged 18 to 35 years, making them #KingMakersGH, and Ghanaians below the age 35years represent about 73.7% of the population (0-14years represent 39.8% and 15-35years represent about 33.9%), YBF appeals to the Nana Akufo-Addo led government to sustain the promise of investing in the youth. We, therefore, urge the incoming goverment to consider our four (4) proposals couched herein as YOUTH ASPIRATIONS because we maintain that #YouthMatterGH.
Action Call
The Youth Bridge Foundation is urging the Nana Akufo-Addo led government to:
YOUTH ASPIRATION I: EDUCATION
1. Reduce school drop-out rates at Basic and Senior High school levels.
2. Prioritize and offer a second window of opportunity to those that have left school to return through integrated adult education and distance tertiary education initiatives. This is consistent with Article 38 (3B) of the 1992 Constitution.
YOUTH ASPIRATION II: EMPLOYABILITY
3. Consistent with NPP manifesto and aligned with long-term national development agenda, promote employability through a 3-pronged approach of prioritizing (a) Technical Vocational Education and Training (b) job creation and (c) entrepreneurship.
YOUTH ASPIRATION III: YOUTH-CENTERED TRANSFORMATIONAL AGRICULTURE
4. Ensure that the future of food and agriculture in Ghana, how and where food is grown, processed and consumed is youth-centred.
YOUTH ASPIRATION IV: OPEN & YOUTH-INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE
5. To institutionalize a presidential dialogue with the youth every six months.
6. Decouple the Ministry of Youth and Sports to have a standalone Ministry of Youth with Directorates responsible for coordinating sector-specific programs and activities.
7. Use technology and youth-friendly engagement tools to crowdsource policy ideas from the youth and get them actively involved in governance processes.
Conclusion
YBF make these proposals in the spirit of advancing youth-inclusive governance and assert that it is in the interest of Ghana and our democracy to bring the youth along national agenda.
December 15, 2016
Seth Oteng
Executive Director
Cell.: 024-322 9505
