A delegation from the Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF) has paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, to discuss key youth-related issues and explore collaborative opportunities to advance youth development initiatives in Ghana.
The high-level meeting, held at the Ministry’s office on Monday, March 3, 2025, focused on collaborative efforts to enhance youth participation in governance, skills development for employment, and education. The YBF delegation shared insights from their ongoing projects, including youth governance programs, climate change initiatives, and capacity-building workshops designed to equip young people with the capacity to advance youth development.
Speaking at the meeting, Programs Manager for the YBF, Joyce Nyame, emphasized the need for stronger partnerships between civil society and government to implement sustainable youth programs.
“As a continental youth mobilizer we realize and appreciate the impact of a multistakeholder approach in addressing youth concerns and that is why we are here today. As the first Minister for Youth Development and Employment we recognize the importance of your office in championing youth concerns in government”, she said
Additionally, discussions were held on accountability measures, ensuring that the Ministry remains transparent and effective in addressing youth-related concerns. This comes on the back of the Foundation’s Empowering Youth to Elevate Accountability project aimed at training youth to seek accountability from the government in line with its manifesto promises
Minister George Opare Addo reiterated the government’s dedication to youth development initiatives. He also emphasized several interventions his office plans to implement to tackle the significant challenges young people face, such as unemployment, access to quality education, and political inclusion.
He said “I seek to align the various agencies set up to enhance youth development. Some strategies include streamlining a database of all the institutions working on youth-related agenda, formalize informal sector jobs to boost development and promote transparent accountability”
He further urged the Foundation to “make a lot more noise and more advocacy” to improve youth development.
As part of the engagement, both parties agreed to explore further opportunities for collaboration that align with Ghana’s youth development agenda.
The delegation also used the occasion to formally invite the Minister to an upcoming In-person Engagement and Job Fair hosted by YBF in collaboration with the University of Ghana Business School under the Tullow Alumni Connect Project, funded by Tullow Oil. The fair aims to provide young people
with direct access to professional Coaches and employers across various sectors to foster their career development.
The Youth Bridge Foundation remains committed to advocating for youth inclusion and working with stakeholders to shape a future where young people have equitable access to opportunities for growth and leadership.