Accra: Ghana must sustain investment in youth skills, reproductive health, and drug-abuse prevention to harness its demographic dividend, stakeholders have said. They emphasized the need for coordinated interventions to address unemployment, population pressures, inadequate reproductive health services, and substance abuse, which could undermine the benefits of a growing youth population.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. William Nortey, a representative of the Regional Director of the National Youth Authority (NYA), made the call during activities to mark the 2026 World Population Day, themed 'Investing in Ghana's Future through Healthy, Skilled and Empowered Young People.' The event gathered representatives from the NYA, National Population Council (NPC), and Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to discuss challenges affecting young people and strategies for building a healthy, skilled, and productive population.
Mr. Nortey highlighted the importance of a healthy and skilled youth population capable of creating employment and contributing meaningfully to national development. He noted that the NYA's National Apprenticeship Programme was being implemented in 24 skill areas to equip young people with employable skills, thereby reducing their dependence on government employment. The first phase of the programme, which started in October 2025 and is expected to end in September 2026, aims to provide trainees with start-up kits to establish their businesses after completing their training. Additionally, the NYA has been implementing programmes to promote healthy lifestyles among young people, including education on the dangers of substance abuse.
Mrs. Nana Ama Obuobi-Donkor, Acting Greater Accra Regional Population Officer of the NPC, pointed out that population challenges in the Greater Accra Region require the active involvement of traditional authorities, community leaders, and other stakeholders. She identified unemployment, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate access to reproductive health services as major challenges that could undermine efforts to harness the demographic dividend. The rapid migration into the Greater Accra Region is putting pressure on available employment opportunities, while overcrowding in some schools affects the quality of education and skills development.
Mrs. Obuobi-Donkor called for improved access to reproductive health information and services for young people, highlighting that misconceptions about family planning continue to prevent some young people from seeking appropriate services. She urged health workers to adopt a more accommodating and tolerant approach towards young people seeking reproductive health services, providing accurate information without making them feel unwelcome. The NPC integrates population variables into development planning from the national to regional and district levels, ensuring that population dynamics inform policy and resource allocation.
Mrs. Sandra Thompson, Senior Narcotics Control Officer of NACOC, warned that substance abuse poses a serious threat to efforts to build a healthy and productive youth population. She stressed that education and prevention are crucial in addressing drug abuse among young people and cautioned against peer pressure, curiosity, and the misuse of substances, including shisha and prescription medicines. Mrs. Thompson urged young people to make informed choices and resist influences that could expose them to substance abuse, emphasizing that the country's demographic dividend can only be achieved when young people are healthy, skilled, and empowered.