A resounding call for urgent national action on youth development has been made by the Chief Executive Officer of theGlobal Media Foundation (GLOMEF), Godlove Ahenu, who warns that the future of Ghana and indeed any nation hangs in the balance if adolescents and young people are not prioritised.

Addressing stakeholders at the Close-Out and Learning Summit in Sunyani, Ahenu stressed that meaningful investment in young people is the most decisive factor in securing sustainable national development.

“The future of every nation hinges on how well its youth are empowered, protected, and prepared for leadership,” he declared.

The summit marked the successful completion of the Resilient City for Adolescents Project, a three-year initiative that has reshaped youth engagement and participation within theSunyani Municipality.

Held under the theme, “Participation to Systems Change: Strengthening Adolescents-Responsive Cities,” the event brought together actors from the education, health, and development sectors to reflect on progress made, share lessons learned, and celebrate the growing influence of adolescents in governance and community advocacy.

Beyond a ceremonial close-out, the summit became a powerful reflection of transformation one that has shifted young people from the margins of decision-making to the centre of civic discourse.

In an interview, Mr. Ahenu revealed that the project directly engaged more than 4,000 adolescents across Sunyani, providing them with platforms to lead, skills to thrive, and voices that are increasingly shaping local governance.

“Within the three-year period, we engaged over 4,000 adolescents,” he said. “The project was structured around key pillars, including economic empowerment, political participation through the Adolescent Parliament, and youth-led journalism.”

Under its economic empowerment drive, more than 50 young people were equipped with vocational and entrepreneurial skills in areas such as fashion design, soap production, makeup artistry, hairdressing, and bakery.

“We trained 15 young people in fashion design, about 30 in soap making, and another 30 in makeup, alongside others in hairdressing and baking,” Mr. Ahenu noted, emphasising the project’s commitment to building self-reliance among young people.

A defining innovation of the initiative was the Adolescent Parliament, a governance model inspired by Ghana’s national legislative system, designed to cultivate active civic participation among young people.

“We zoned Sunyani into 90 constituencies, elected adolescent parliamentarians, and built their capacity to identify and advocate for issues affecting their communities,” he explained. “This ensures that young people are not just observers, but active contributors to governance at the city level.”

To further institutionalise youth engagement, the project established the Intermediary Eco-City System Platform, a strategic bridge connecting adolescents with city authorities and ensuring their concerns are integrated into local policy discussions.

However, despite these strides, Mr. Ahenu cautioned that many adolescents continue to face persistent and complex challenges, including limited access to quality education, unemployment, inadequate healthcare, climate vulnerabilities, social exclusion, gender inequality, and mental health concerns.

“These issues threaten not only the future of young people but also the sustainability of our cities and communities,” he warned. “If we fail to act decisively, we risk undermining the very foundation of our national development.”

Representing the Bono Regional Minister, the Regional Coordinating Director, Mr. David Nar-ire Puobenyere, lauded GLOMEF and its partners for what he described as a transformative initiative that has restored hope and expanded opportunities for young people across the municipality.

The Resilient City for Adolescents Project, implemented by GLOMEF between 2023 and 2026 in partnership with Citizens Watch Ghana and the Indigenous Women Network, forms part of a wider global initiative spanning six countries in the Global South Ghana, Senegal, India, Ecuador, Colombia, and Vietnam.

The programme was designed to strengthen adolescent resilience while ensuring their meaningful participation in city-level decision-making processes.

Report by Daniel Donkor, Bono Region