By Michael Kofi Kenetey
The National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE, in collaboration with a pan-African economic policy institute supporting Africa’s long-term growth through transformation, African Centre for Economic Transformation, ACET, through its initiative Ghana Compact has organized a youth engagement forum for youth leaders in the Eastern Region at Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.
The engagement seeks to promote a consultative dialogue among stakeholders to help address development issues confronting the country.
Participants during the engagement called on the government to invest more in TVET and STEM education to train people to be self-dependent and reliant after school. They also asked that the educational curriculum be tailored towards churning out graduates to suit the job market.
The Compact Ghana youth engagement in Koforidua which brought together various youth leaders across the region is to help solicit ideas, views, and concerns towards formulating sound policies for the future of the country.
It also aims to empower citizens, especially the youth and government to move beyond politics and focus on sound policies to transform the country. As the country gears up for the 2024 elections, the initiative also offers an opportunity for political parties to move beyond politically focused campaigns to issues-driven campaigns and also to empower the youth to hold their current and future leaders accountable.
In an interview with GBC News, the Commission Secretary of NCCE, Mrs. Lucille Hewlette Annan said the decision to engage the youth is to get solutions from the youth since they are the people who are mostly confronted by most of the challenges such as unemployment, hence they are in the better position to share their challenges as well as proffer solutions to the challenges.
She advised the youth to know that their future starts from now, and they should help in proffering solutions to the challenges confronting the country.
A Senior Fellow at African Centre for Economic Transformation, Professor John Asafu-Adjaye, mentioned that the initiative is to chart a vision for the next 25 years in Ghana.
He mentioned four critical issues that are affecting Ghana’s development.
The participants were put into five groups with questions for which they brainstormed to provide solutions.
These will be collated for stakeholders to discuss and agree to implement.
