Kumasi, July 10, GNA - The National Population Council (NPC) has called on stakeholders in the country's development to be dedicated to investing in young people since they were a major potential force for the country's socio-economic advancement.

The Council expressed concern that that public sector programmes and budgets, which tended to focus on children and adults, had, over the years traditionally ignored young people.

"This affected their lives and opportunities to participate as citizens and actors of change", the Council noted. The call was contained in a release signed by Mr Edward Oppong-Aboagye, Ashanti Regional Population Officer of the NPC and issued in Kumasi on Monday.

The release said investing in young people was an opportunity to ensuring that earlier investments made in childhood comes to fruition for the benefit of national development.

Otherwise, it said, accomplishments in improved child educational and health status could be undermined.

According to the 2000 census, young people who fall between the ages of 10 and 24 constitute about 31 per cent of Ghana's population. The release said, "As future leaders of the country, it was important that young people were well educated and equipped for the job market.

It pointed out that even though Ghana had shown some level of commitment towards the implementation of recommended action plans to address issues bordering on young people, it behoved corporate bodies, stakeholders and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to step up efforts at instituting proactive measures to fully enhance the development of young people.