Plan International Ghana has launched a three-year initiative to expand young people’s role in shaping decisions at local and national levels, targeting communities across four regions of the country.
The Youth Accelerator for Change (YAC) project, launched in Accra on Wednesday, brings together government bodies, civil society groups, and youth organisations with the aim of repositioning young Ghanaians as drivers of development rather than passive recipients of aid. The initiative builds on the earlier She Leads programme and will be implemented in Accra, Ho, Hohoe, and Jasikan.
Speaking at the launch, Acting Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Frederick Tei-Nobi, said the project reflects a deliberate commitment to placing young people at the centre of development work. Project Manager Joyce Obenewaa Darko said the initiative will directly engage youth-led groups and social enterprises operating in those communities.
The project will address issues including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence, climate change, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and livelihoods. Beyond local programming, it will also connect participating youth to international advocacy platforms, provide leadership training, and offer funding access for social enterprises.
Plan International said the YAC project is part of a global programme being rolled out across nine countries, backed by international partners. The National Youth Authority (NYA) and several women’s rights groups are among the local organisations that have pledged support for the initiative.
The coalition said a central challenge the project seeks to address is the structural exclusion of young people from decision-making, citing limited access to funding, shrinking civic space, and the consistent sidelining of youth-generated solutions in policy processes.
