World Population Day 2026: NPC, UNFPA Urge Urgent Action on Youth Empowerment in Ghana
The Acting Executive Director of the National Population Council (NPC), Angelina Osei Kodua-Nyanor, has called for sustained investment in youth development to enable Ghana to harness the benefits of its youthful population.
Speaking at the national commemoration of the 2026 World Population Day in Accra, she said the country must tackle youth unemployment, skills mismatch and barriers to education if it is to secure a demographic dividend.
“Approximately one in four young Ghanaians aged between 15 and 35 is currently not in education, employment or training, with young women disproportionately affected,” she said.
Madam Kodua-Nyanor explained that the government’s renewed focus on youth development complements the National Population Council’s efforts to integrate population dynamics into national and sub-national development planning.
Referring to President John Dramani Mahama’s vision for youth development, she said the President believes Africa’s future depends on its young people and that their voices should be reflected in public policy.
“This commitment is being translated into greater attention to skills development, employment, entrepreneurship and meaningful youth participation,” she noted.
She said the Council is working to ensure that demographic trends guide investment decisions in education, health, employment, housing and social protection, while promoting evidence-based planning across all sectors.
According to Madam Kodua-Nyanor, policies aimed at young people must be shaped with their active participation rather than being developed on their behalf.
“For the National Population Council, youth participation must extend beyond consultation. It must increasingly influence how policies and programmes are designed, implemented and assessed,” she stated.
She said recommendations from the Fourth National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Summit, held last month, would help shape the Council’s future interventions on adolescent health and development after bringing together young people, policymakers, health professionals and development partners to discuss issues affecting their well-being.
Madam Kodua-Nyanor said unlocking Ghana’s demographic dividend requires a collective effort from government, development partners, academia, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, communities and the private sector.
“Government alone cannot deliver the demographic dividend. It will require coordinated action across government institutions, development partners, civil society, academia, communities and the private sector,” she said.
The Acting Executive Director also encouraged young people to remain active participants in national development, saying the future of the country depends on creating opportunities that enable them to realise their ambitions.
“This occasion is about your aspirations, your opportunities and the future we must build together,” she said.
On his part, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana Country Representative, Dr David Wilfred Ochan, said Ghana has been challenged to move with urgency to turn its large youth population into a driver of growth.
He urged stakeholders to act now to harness the demographic dividend, adding that failure to align policies would waste the window available to the country.
The event formed part of Ghana’s observance of the 2026 World Population Day under the theme, “Investing in Ghana’s Future through Healthy, Skilled and Empowered Young People” in collaboration between the National Population Council (NPC) and the UNFPA.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran, ISD
