As one of those who have been critical in advocating for the need to accelerate action on the implementation of the National Youth Policy, I consider the directive issued by the President to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to expedite action on the National Youth Policy and present it to cabinet for consideration gratifying and commendable.

For one thing, I get the impression that the President shares our concerns and frustration as young people and for that matter the implications of keeping the policy in a quagmire of review. It is therefore our fervent hope that it will not remain a mere political publicity stunt but rather in no time, we shall see results from the Youth and Sports Ministry.

While we keep very close eyes on the Youth and Sports Ministry, I wish to use this opportunity to share propose the following for consideration. The most effective way to achieve success in youth development through the implementation of the youth policy is to mainstream the youth development agenda. Already, the policy under review sets the tone for youth mainstreaming. The various priority areas have been assigned to specific Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with specific objectives and targets. Voting funds separately for the implementation of the youth policy may be problematic and impracticable. As it stands now, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has commenced the 2010 budgeting process hence it will be prudent if the Youth and Sports Ministry completes it work in good time for Cabinet’s approval so that the various MDAs will include their respective priority areas into their action plans and incorporate them in their budgets. This way, as soon as the final budget is considered and approved by Parliament we can be sure that the policy will be implemented holistically in order to realize the desired results.

The next most critical thing to consider will be effective monitoring and evaluation of the policy. Here, the National Youth Council should be capacitated to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the policy and present annual youth reports to help us measure our progress of implementation. This report will consider the annual targets sector by sector, right from the district level to the national level. It will also offer us the opportunity to re-strategize where necessary.

The need for government and for that matter the state to pay special attention to the implementation of the national youth policy cannot be overemphasized. While it can be considered as a more holistic and effective approach to youth development in Ghana, it also gives us a clear direction on how we intend to prepare young people for the task of national development. Again, pursuing a youth development programme within a specific framework offers us the opportunity to measure our progress and the quality of our investment in the youth. Without doubt, the youth constitute a significant proportion the country’s population hence addressing their concerns satisfactorily; government will be making a major headway.

Ultimately, it is important to consolidate all the above efforts by enacting a youth law that will safeguard the youth development agenda from political manipulation. The existing law (NRCD 241) is simply inadequate in this current era.

Prosper Hoetu

Youth Network for Human Rights & Democracy E-mail: peeintouch@yahoo.co.uk