The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Youth Development in Northern Region, which made the call, said “We are concerned that notwithstanding the myriad of problems facing our youth, adequate and readily available data about youth in Ghana appear to be lacking in most cases.”

     This was contained in a congratulatory statement to the Minister for Youth and Sports, and read on behalf of members of the Coalition by Mr Kamal Deen Habib, Technical Advisor in-charge of Advocacy, Youth and Gender at Youth Empowerment for Life (YEfL).

     The statement, which was read at a quarterly media review forum in Tamale, expressed firm belief in the ability of the Minister for Youth and Sports to pursue programmes that would qualitatively transform the lives of young people in the country.

     It said “Given your interest in youth and sports activities and many years of experience in the Parliamentary Select Committee for the sector, we are hopeful that your administration would endeavour to address youth unemployment, which remains the most visible setback to the realisation of young people’s dreams in the country.”

     It said some of the problems facing the youth were multidimensional, urging the Ministry of Youth and Sports to forge a strong and effective collaboration with other ministries and partners to reduce duplication of efforts in youth development projects. 

     The statement pledged the Coalition’s unwavering support to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and its agencies in all matters that effectively engaged and utilised the talents of young people in both urban and rural areas of the country.

     The Coalition of CSOs on Youth Development in Northern Region is a network of 10 independent organisations that work together to complement the efforts of government in creating economic opportunities for the youth, broadening social and political space for youth participation and above all, reducing youth vulnerability to exploitation and violence across the Northern Region.

     Some of the members of the Coalition include YEfL, Centre for Active Learning and Development, Youth Network for Sustainable Development, Youth Alive, Youth Opportunity Partnership Project, NORSAAC, Centre for Development and Policy Advocacy, and Empowering and Transforming Communities.