The National Population Council (NPC) says identifying and finding strategic solutions to challenges facing the development of the human resource of Ghana is central to the nation’s growth and prosperity.

It said the biggest and best resources of every nation was its human resource and therefore stakeholders had to work together to bridge the barriers to the development of the people and improve upon their knowledge and skills, to contribute significantly to the socio-economic journey of the country.

Mr Alosiba Akare Azam, the Upper East Regional Population Officer of the NPC, made the call in Bolgatanga at the first meeting of the reactivated Regional Population Advisory Committee (RPAC). It was formed in 1998 in the Region but collapsed a few years later.

Mr Azam said if the key population issues were identified and integrated into the development planning strategies of the country, they could be effectively and efficiently addressed, to promote sustainable development.

He mentioned key issues which were of great concern, especially in the Upper East Region as unemployment, teenage pregnancy, migration, sexual and reproductive health for young people, and child marriage among others.

The Regional Population Officer said for the country to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063, pragmatic measures had to be taken to address the challenges facing young people who were the future of the nation.

He appealed to the government to include the National Population Council in the Regional Planning Coordinating Unit, to enable it to monitor activities of the District Assemblies and give advice on the integration of population issues into development planning at all levels.

He explained that the Regional Population Advisory Committee established by the National Population Council was to identify key population concerns and offer technical advice to institutions, organizations and agencies on effective population management.

He, therefore, urged the revitalized committee to work assiduously to identify major population challenges of the Region amidst the impact of the coronavirus, especially on teenage pregnancy.

Mr Mahammadu Assibi Azonko, the Regional Coordinating Director, who spoke on behalf of Madam Tangoba Abayage, the Regional Minister, who is also the chairperson of the RPAC, noted that accurate population data was key to proper national development planning and implementation of interventions geared towards addressing the identified issues.

He said youth unemployment was a major security threat as more young graduates were being produced without effectively implementing policies to create jobs for them and called on various stakeholders to work together to factor the issues of youth in the development planning strategies of the country to address the challenges facing them.

The Committee is made up of representatives from various institutions such as the Regional Coordinating Council, the NPC, Department of Gender/Children, National Youth Authority, Civil Society Organizations and the media among others.

The main function of the RPAC among other things was to identify key population issues in the Region and draw strategies to address them.