The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has launched the Youth of Ghana Programme which is intended to encourage the youth to concentrate on national development.
NDPC is in the process of preparing a plan that will guide the nation’s development over the next 40 years.
To this end, a series of regional and technical consultations have been organized with identifiable groups across the country.
As one of the major constituencies, the youth are going to be deeply engaged to enable them express their views on personal, community and national development over the next 40 years
Against this background, the Ministry of Education, NDPC, in collaboration with the National Youth Authority and the Curious Minds- a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), have drawn up a comprehensive programme to involve the youth in the process and solicit their views on the national development plan.
The youth programme is intended to shape the lives and minds of children and youth at basic, secondary and tertiary levels, as well as their out-of-school counterparts.
The strategy is to engage the youth continuously to encourage members of their families and communities to make inputs into the long-term plan.
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, Chairman of the NDPC, Professor Kwesi Botchway, said the youth are the most critical stakeholders in the long-term national development plan because they form a greater percentage of the population of the country.
He acknowledged the importance of youth in the development process.
Deputy Minister of Education, Sam Okudzeto- Ablakwa, urged the youth to read widely in order to gain more knowledge.
He revealed that plans were underway to develop the skills of the youth as part of the national development agenda.
He advised the youth to use the internet to boost their academic performance.
By Ernest Pappoe