Story written by: Bright Philip Donkor
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has emphasised the pivotal role of the media in amplifying youth voices, and shaping Ghana’s future.
Speaking on behalf of the UNFPA Country Representative, Dr. Wilfred Ochan, the Programme Specialist for Adolescents and Youth at the UNFPA, Adjoa Nyanteng Yenyi, made the call on the occasion of the “meet the press – commemoration of the world population day” held yesterday at the GNAT hall in Accra.
Madam Nyanteng Yenyi underscored the importance of continuous collaboration to promote youth-centric initiatives across the nation. “As the fourth estate of this country, we urge you, the media, for your continuous collaboration and support in projecting the messages of the youth as far as possible,” she said.
Commitment
She called on media professionals to be committed to spotlighting youth issues in health, education, employment and participation in national development. She stressed the significance of inclusive dialogue, and encouraged the media to expand avenues for national discussions involving the youth.
She noted that continuous dialogue would go a long way to influence narratives, attitudes, behaviours, policies and funding, ultimately driving meaningful change throughout the country.
Madam Nyanteng Yenyi highlighted the collaborative efforts among the National Population Council (NPC), UNFPA and the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) of the University of Ghana in developing a comprehensive plan for this year’s World Population Day.
She stressed the significance of the day in enabling countries to address the needs of their citizens sustainably by providing insights into global and national population dynamics.
Commendation
She commended the successful launch of World Population Day 2024 on July 11, themed “The Power of 12 million: Youth as Key Drivers towards a Resilient Future for Ghana.” This theme focused on harnessing the potential of Ghana’s 12 million youth to drive the nation’s prosperity.
She indicated that throughout the past four days, various activities had been organised to amplify the messages of World Population Day 2024 in Ghana.
These activities, she mentioned, included a dynamic social media campaign titled “12 messages representing 12 million Ghanaian Youth” and a market outreach at Makola market, where youth engaged with traders and pedestrians to raise awareness about their pivotal role in national development.
She further reiterated the importance of translating words into actions, and empowering youth to lead.
She lauded the media for a productive engagement, and thanked everyone for their participation and commitment to advancing youth empowerment in Ghana.
Some youth representatives took the lead in discussing insights from the 2024 State of World Population Report (SWoP) and addressing questions from the media.
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