Nalerigu: The North East Regional Coordinating Council (NERCC) has organized a one-day Adolescent and Youth Development Advocacy session at Nalerigu aimed at promoting the inclusion of young people in local and regional development planning processes. Sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the session brought together adolescents, youth, and students from the area.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event provided a platform for young people to contribute to the development planning and decision-making processes of the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and the Regional Coordinating Council. Participants were familiarized with the region's development planning framework, particularly the Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDPs), which are designed to ensure that all citizens can express their needs, priorities, and aspirations for consideration by local government authorities.
During the session, it was revealed that young people have often been excluded from development planning, resulting in decisions on issues affecting them being made without their direct involvement. The adolescents and youth identified factors such as inexperience, low self-confidence, and prevailing societal norms as barriers limiting their participation in governance and decision-making.
The session offered the youth an opportunity to express their views and share concerns for consideration by the NERCC and the respective Assemblies. Moving forward, the youth expressed their readiness to actively support development initiatives, particularly those directly affecting their wellbeing and future. They called for increased inclusion and deliberate efforts to create enabling platforms that would allow them to develop and realize their full potential.
Additionally, the youth highlighted key areas for support, including access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture, climate change innovations, entrepreneurship, and skills development, as well as the establishment of youth resource centers. Mr. Samson Nsasil Kpanob, Programme Focal Person for UNFPA at the NERCC, expressed appreciation to UNFPA for supporting the region in organizing the youth empowerment session.
He noted that similar support had previously been extended to the NERCC for hosting town hall sessions in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri, Yunyoo-Nasuan, Chereponi, and West Mamprusi District Assemblies as part of efforts to deepen youth participation in governance across the region. The advocacy sessions are part of broader initiatives to strengthen adolescent and youth engagement in development planning and ensure that their voices are reflected in policies and programs at all levels of governance.