Just this past weekend at “The Thriving Mindset” breakfast meeting with Rev. Mike Abban, I had the opportunity to address some challenges affecting Youth Development.

The Global Youth Development Index (YDI) highlights six domains as pointers to Youth Development in any nation. These domains are hewed from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are:

1. Education
2. Employment and Opportunity
3. Equality and Inclusion
4. Health and Wellbeing
5. Peace and Security
6. Political and Civic Participation

Over the past 12 years (from 2010 to 2022), the Sub-saharan region has recorded the largest improvement in average youth development. This is quite impressive, however, according to the Global YDI 2023 ranking, Ghana is ranked 105/181 and 21/56 at the Commonwealth YDI 2023 ranking.

We have six more years to go with the SDG 2030 timeline.
From where we stand , the following key areas when taken into consideration will help accelerate our Youth Development and subsequently secure a fulfilling future for our youth, who will become top decision makers in the next decade or two, as the sustainable development of a country largely depends on the wellbeing of the youth population residing in it:

~ Stakeholders must recommit to the inclusive participation of the youth in governance.

~ Young people must be empowered to co-lead and co-create solutions to the challenges of development, democracy, diversity and peace.

~ Stakeholders must engage partners to investment in creating an enabling environment for youth empowerment. An empowered youth is an equipped youth. Together we can!

“ We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future “ – Franklin D. Roosevelt