Bono Youth urges policymakers to design youth-centered policies

Some youth in the Bono region are calling for a more concerted and vocal campaign to pressure duty bearers to implement policies and programs that will help improve youth livelihoods across the country. Ghana.

Ad hoc measures taken by successive governments to address the challenges facing young people, they say, have not been helpful over the years.

Young people speaking to JoyNews on the sidelines of this year’s International Youth Day celebration in Sunyani in the Bono region stressed that the government must design pragmatic policies that will holistically address the needs of young people.

A young activist, Collins Osei, reiterated that Ghana could only achieve prosperity if young people are empowered through measurable policies and programs.

“We, the Ghanaian youth, urge the leaders to develop youth-centered policy interventions that will transform young people into productive members of society, active citizens and engines of socio-economic development of the country,” he said. underline.

Mr Osei said young people needed interventions in education, health, employment and other areas, as human resources are important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs ) United Nations.

He noted that efforts to achieve the SDGs in Ghana depend in part on the plight of young people and bridging the gap between their current realities and the SDG targets.

The young activist stressed that “focusing on young people will be in line with national, regional and international commitments, including the 1992 Constitution, the African Youth Charter as well as the United Nations World Youth Program to which Ghana is a signatory. “.

For his part, a young agribusiness entrepreneur, Yaw Obese Akyea, said “we want to see concrete policies and programs, we want assurances on the decision-making table and we want a more comprehensive national youth policy that shapes youth development in Ghana ”.

He further said that making youth the backbone of national development will have direct dividends for current and future generations.

Obese Akyea called on policy makers to involve young people at all levels towards a more inclusive and sustainable development process.