The Programmes Manager of Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica), Mr. Gilbert Borketey Boyefio, has made a clarion call for the urgent inclusion of young people in national governance, describing youth leadership as critical to the sustenance of Ghana\u2019s democratic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He made this statement during a public lecture on Youth Leadership and Governance organized by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Students Parliament House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing a packed auditorium of students, civic leaders, and political stakeholders, Mr. Boyefio expressed concern about the continued underrepresentation of the youth in Ghana\u2019s political space, particularly within parliamentary democracy. He noted that the involvement of young people has often been limited to campaign volunteerism or \u201cfoot soldier\u201d roles\u2014sometimes involving thuggery\u2014rather than meaningful participation in decision-making processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is even more aggravated when you consider young women, who are often restricted to gender-labeled roles such as \u2018Women\u2019s Organiser,\u2019 with limited prospects of holding parliamentary positions,\u201d Mr. Boyefio stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He described this systemic exclusion as a key driver of apathy and disinterest among the youth in civic and political engagement. According to him, the challenges facing young people\u2014ranging from high financial demands in politics, lack of mentorship, to the absence of youth-friendly policies\u2014have created barriers that prevent a smooth transition from student activism to national political leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PNAfrica, he said, has been working actively to change this narrative by engaging youth-focused groups such as Student Parliaments, GRASAG, POSSA, and female advocacy groups under the Gender Advocacy to Parliament (GAP) initiative. These engagements have revealed a strong eagerness among young people to contribute to governance, but many feel left out due to limited access and knowledge about parliamentary processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlighting some of PNAfrica\u2019s recent interventions, Mr. Boyefio spoke about the successful organization of the second edition of the National Youth Mock Parliament<\/strong>, which convened representatives from the National Youth Authority\u2019s Youth Parliament, Student Parliaments of the Parliament of Ghana, and other youth groups including YIM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Mock Parliament platform provided youth with an opportunity to voice their views on national issues and demonstrated their readiness to be part of the governance architecture,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To sustain this momentum, PNAfrica is also working closely with the Young Parliamentarians Forum<\/strong> and the Women\u2019s Caucus of Parliament<\/strong>, to facilitate mentorship opportunities and knowledge exchange between current lawmakers and aspiring youth leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking ahead, Mr. Boyefio outlined PNAfrica\u2019s continued commitment to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n He concluded with a motivational charge to the students and young leaders in attendance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour potential is limitless. Continue to dream big, innovate, and lead with purpose. Your generation will shape the future, and we are proud to support your journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The public lecture forms part of PNAfrica\u2019s broader agenda to promote inclusive governance by empowering the next generation of leaders with the tools, platforms, and support systems they need to contribute meaningfully to democratic processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source: Clement Akoloh||Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Programmes Manager of Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica), Mr. Gilbert Borketey Boyefio, has made a clarion call for the urgent inclusion of young people in national governance, describing youth leadership as critical to the sustenance of Ghana\u2019s democratic development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[728,1351,1350,546],"class_list":{"0":"post-2246","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"tag-gilbert-borketey-boyefio","9":"tag-knust-public-lecture","10":"tag-national-youth-mock-parliament","11":"tag-pnafrica"},"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n