Ashanti Regional Development Planning Officer Calls for Greater Youth Involvement in Planning for Sustainable Development
Ashanti Regional Development Planning Officer Calls for Greater Youth Involvement in Planning for Sustainable Development
From Ernest Best Anane, Kumasi
Mrs. Beatrice K. Osei‑Asare, Ashanti Regional Development Planning Officer (RDPO), has urged policymakers to place youth at the centre of development planning in order to achieve sustainable growth across the region. Speaking at the “Our District, Our Development” proposals presentation organized by the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mrs. Osei‑Asare emphasized that the youth constitute the majority of the population and that excluding them from planning processes undermines the long‑term success of development programmes.
“The youth are the major population in our society. Leaving them out of the planning and implementation of development projects is a neglect of the larger population and jeopardises the sustainability of our programmes,” she said. Her remarks were made during a session aimed at integrating youth‑generated proposals into the region’s medium‑term development plan.
The event, held in Kumasi, brought together representatives from four metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) – the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kwadaso Municipal Assembly, Ahafo Ano South East District Assembly and Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipal Assembly – as well as youth groups, civil‑society organisations and UNFPA officials. Participants presented ideas on education, health, entrepreneurship and climate‑resilient agriculture, all of which are intended to be incorporated into the upcoming medium‑term development framework.
Mrs. Osei‑Asare highlighted the particular vulnerability of young people to HIV/AIDS and other social challenges, stressing that their active participation is essential for effective responses. “We need to hear directly from the youth about what they want to be involved in and what must be included in our development plans,” she added.
Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoako‑hene, who also addressed the gathering, reiterated the RCC’s commitment to supporting adolescent and youth initiatives in partnership with UNFPA. He noted that the inclusion of youth voices aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the national agenda for inclusive growth.
The “Our District, Our Development” forum concluded with a pledge to establish youth councils in districts that currently lack them, ensuring that young people have a structured role in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of regional projects.
The initiative underscores a growing recognition among Ashanti’s policymakers that sustainable development cannot be achieved without the active engagement of the region’s youthful population.
