In a packed conference hall at the Eastern Premier Hotel, the energy was electric. Over five hundred young Ghanaian activists, innovators, students, and community leaders, rose to their feet as one voice rang through the room: “Nothing for us, without us!”
It was a fitting rallying cry for the Youth Summit 2025, held from November 5–6 in Koforidua, under the theme “Harnessing the Power of Youth for Transformative Development.”
What began as a dialogue quickly became a declaration, that the future of Ghana’s governance must not just include young people, but be shaped by them.
From the Margins to the Decision Table
The summit’s communiqué placed Youth Leadership and Governance at the center of its resolutions. Delegates demanded greater youth representation in decision-making at all levels, from local assemblies to national institutions.
For many, the issue was not just symbolic. It was about ensuring that decisions affecting millions of young people, in education, employment, and environment reflect their lived realities.
“We are not future leaders; we are today’s leaders who deserve space to act,” said a youth representative from the New Juaben South Youth Parliament.
Participants called for the Right to Information Act (Act 989) to be used more proactively, empowering citizens, especially youth to track how public resources are managed. They also urged increased budget allocations at district and regional levels to make participatory governance a lived experience, not a slogan.
Accountability and Active Citizenship
Following a session taken by representatives from the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), delegates underscored a shared conviction: democracy only thrives when citizens are informed, engaged, and empowered.
They called for expanded civic education programs to help young people understand their rights and responsibilities, and to hold duty bearers accountable.
A youth leader from the Koforidua Technical University, Aisha Ummar put it bluntly: “We can’t fight corruption from the sidelines. We need to be inside the rooms where transparency begins.”
This call for inclusion was accompanied by a demand for integrity and overwhelming interest in through the Youth Against Corruption(YAC) initiative from the OSP’s office, a clear signal that Ghana’s youth want not only representation but responsible leadership across generations.
Building Bridges: Government, Youth, and Civil Society
STAR Ghana Foundation, in partnership with the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, National Youth Authority (NYA), Youth Advocates Ghana, and Kofkro Partners, convened the summit as a platform for dialogue and collaboration.
Together, they sought to redefine what governance looks like when young people are not passive beneficiaries, but equal partners in shaping national policy.
The communiqué’s commitments extended beyond governance alone, touching on education reform, green entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and inclusive development. But the heartbeat of every conversation returned to one thing: leadership that listens.
A Youth Agenda for a New Ghana
Participants pledged to organize and expand local youth parliaments, leverage digital platforms for policy dialogue, and strengthen the Youth Manifesto as a living tool for accountability. They also vowed to collaborate with civil society and government to make youth budgets visible and impactful at every level.
Development partners and CSOs, for their part, committed to supporting capacity building, transparency, and civic inclusion initiatives that equip young people to lead effectively and ethically.
