Adress by the CEO of NYA on ocassion of the launch of International youth day (IYD) 2020 at the press center, Ministry of Information on wednesday, 29th July 2020

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this press conference.

Thank you for honouring our invitation to be part of this august gathering. I am happy to share thoughts on the National Youth Authority’s preparation towards the upcoming International Youth Day Celebration.

The International Youth Day is a global annual event endorsed by the United Nations and celebrated on 12th August to underscore the immense contributions of young people and also raise awareness of challenges facing the world’s youth.

The Global theme for this year’s celebration is Youth Engagements for Global Action. The theme for 2020 highlights ways in which young people are enriching institutions and the needed efforts to enhance youth representation and engagements. However, the local subtheme for Ghana hinges on Promoting Youth Engagement in Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19; the Need for Youth Innovation and Creativity. The local subtheme was developed to encourage young people in Ghana to be at the forefront of efforts to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 on our socio-economic, cultural and political lives.

This calls for youth ingenuity and innovation in tackling challenges created by the pandemic and developing solutions to aid Ghana’s post-coronavirus recovery. In view of this, The National Youth Authority (NYA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) will engage the youth of Ghana in series of dialogues and activities to empower them to lead Ghana’s mitigation and adaptation efforts through diverse innovative approaches.

The Youth are the hardest hit in these trying times; the effects of COVID-19 on the education, employment and health of young people are unprecedented. Massive public education, business support interventions and the strict enforcement of safety protocols by the Government of Ghana have yielded positive results. However, there is the need to tap into the energies, creativity, and innovation of young people to assist Government in the formulation and implementation of mitigation mechanisms. The National Youth Authority remains steadfast in its resolve to ensure that the views of young people are taken into consideration in the rollout of interventions in response to COVID-19.

In line with the National Youth Authority’s mandate to promote youth participation in national development, the pre-event activities will be held in all regions of Ghana to herald the International Youth Day. The pre-event activities will bring together young people, tap into their rich intellectual reserves and leverage on their efforts to fight COVID-19. The youth groups to be engaged include artisans, persons with disability, students, young entrepreneurs and others. Details of the scheduled programmes and activities will be communicated in due time.

The National Youth Authority, therefore, entreats the general public, especially the youth to participate fully in the upcoming programmes, develop innovative solutions to address COVID-19 and facilitate Ghana’s swift recovery.

We need young people’s leadership now more than ever to bolster our ability to respond to the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic and chart a path for the future of the country. The youth of Ghana must rise to the challenge; our survival depends on you.

Thank you for your audience!