Youth Empowerment for Life (YEfL), a civil society organization, has called on the government to increase funding for the National Youth Authority (NYA) to enable it to effectively implement its activities.

Madam Vera Jawol Magan, Director of YEfL, who made the call, said the current funding mechanism for the NYA where it received five per cent of District Assemblies’ Common Fund was not adequate to enable it to fully implement its activities.

She was speaking at a forum organized by YEfL in Tamale to mark this year’s Africa Youth Day celebration under the theme: “Harnessing the Demographic Dividends through Investment in the Youth.”

The forum was attended by youth groups drawn from across the region where authorities from the NYA, National Entrepreneurial and Investment Programme and the Youth Employment Agency made presentations about their mandate.

The Africa Youth Day (AYD), celebrated on November 01, every year, is dedicated to the struggle to seek recognition of the youth as key agents for socio-political change and economic growth in all aspects of the African society.

Madam Jawol Magan said the poor funding of the NYA has restricted its operations to the national and regional capitals instead of the districts where the bulk of the youth lived and needed to be empowered to exploit their potentials.

She urged the youth not to feel daunted by the challenges but to continue to contribute their quota towards national development.

Madam Magan called on the government to implement the “One District One Library” initiative developed by YEfL to support education of the youth in the country.

Mr Salifu Saeed, Northern Regional Minister, said government recognizes the potential of the youth and has initiated programmes such as the Planting for Food and Jobs to help them to create jobs for themselves and others.

He commended YEfL for its immense contributions towards youth development in the country and called on it to continue to partner with government to effectively address challenges facing the youth.

Mr MacCarthy Mac-Gbathy, Co-founder and Director of Hopin Academy, who was one of the youth participants at the forum, urged government to design youth oriented investment opportunities to help the youth to realize their dreams.

Mr Mahama Tani, Northern Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund, urged the youth to take advantage of opportunities such as the Free Senior High School policy to develop themselves so that they do not end up as liabilities on others in future.