The Executive Director of Youth Placement for Employability Solutions (Y-PES) Ghana, Mr. Mumuni Sulemanna, has disclosed that a recent survey conducted by the organization revealed a worrying low level of awareness of Ghana’s National Youth Policy among young people nearly five years after its launch.
According to him, the survey, which involved 2,000 youth respondents (54 percent males; 46 percent females) through a Google questionnaire, showed that 91.2 percent of the participants were not aware of the existence of the policy, while only a small fraction indicated awareness.
He made these remarks during a leadership training organized by Y-PES Ghana for Senior High School prefects.
Speaking at the event, the Y-PES boss lamented the seeming lack of interest among many young people in learning about government policies and programmes that directly affect their growth and development.
He therefore called on the National Youth Authority and the National Commission for Civic Education to intensify public education and awareness campaigns on the National Youth Policy across the country.
Mr. Sulemanna further appealed to government to make available the five percent allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) meant for the National Youth Authority to support youth development activities and empowerment programmes.
He, however, criticized the previous use of portions of the youth fund for the construction of youth stadia, popularly referred to as Youth Resource Centres, describing it as a misplaced priority.
According to him, the construction of sports facilities falls within the core mandate of the National Sports Authority, while the National Youth Authority should rather focus on initiatives that develop the capacities, talents, entrepreneurship, and leadership potential of young people.
The Executive Director urged stakeholders to prioritize practical youth empowerment interventions that would create opportunities and improve the lives of young people across the country.
