The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Osman Abdulai Ayariga, has urged young people to take a more active role in political discourse, stressing that participation should focus on citizenship and national development rather than partisan politics alone.
Mr Ayariga said involving young people in political discourse should mean empowering them to understand and interrogate policies affecting education, employment, businesses, communities and the environment.
According to him, young people must be confident enough to ask government difficult questions, challenge policies respectfully, propose alternatives and hold public institutions accountable. He said democratic participation came with both rights and responsibilities.
“When we speak about involving young people in political discourse, we are not necessarily speaking about partisan politics. We are speaking about citizenship,” he said.
Mr Ayariga cautioned young people against reducing civic participation to social media conversations and partisan exchanges.
He encouraged them to take their ideas and concerns into their communities, schools, workplaces, youth organisations and formal democratic institutions.
He said the quality of youth participation would ultimately depend on how informed and constructive young people were in expressing their views.
“Your voice carries weight when it is informed, constructive and solution-oriented,” Mr Ayariga said.
