The National Youth Authority (NYA), in collaboration with the Parliament of Ghana, has held the maiden edition of the National Youth Parliament Mock Sitting at the Justice D.F. Annan Auditorium of the Parliament House of Ghana, as part of activities marking National Youth Month 2026.
The initiative seeks to prepare young people to understand, participate in and contribute meaningfully to Ghana's governance and national development.
Delivering the opening address, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Osman Ayariga, said the National Youth Parliament is more than a platform for young people to deliver speeches, describing it as an opportunity for learning, questioning, deliberation, listening and active participation in democratic governance.
He noted that engaging directly with Parliament allows young people to experience parliamentary processes and appreciate the importance of presenting motions, debating ideas, respecting procedures, listening to opposing views, building consensus and making decisions in the national interest.
Ayariga stressed that the mandate of the National Youth Authority goes beyond creating economic opportunities, noting that the Authority is also responsible for nurturing young people who are disciplined, patriotic, responsible and capable of contributing to national development. He encouraged the youth to be well prepared when called upon to participate in national discussions and urged greater inclusion of persons living with disabilities in the Youth Parliament, further challenging the young parliamentarians to go beyond simply delivering speeches and instead learn to effectively represent ideas, communities and constituencies.
The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, also emphasised that the initiative is aimed at preparing the next generation of leaders. He encouraged young people to take advantage of the platform to engage, network and develop their leadership skills, stressing that they should not shy away from leadership because of its challenges.
Speaking during the mock sitting, Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, raised concerns about the economic cost of abandoning development projects whenever there is a change in government. He noted that Ghana loses millions of cedis when projects are discontinued or left uncompleted by successive administrations and urged the young parliamentarians to change this narrative by putting Ghana first, ahead of their affiliations to political parties.
Agbana also called on young people to embrace patriotism, stressing that patriotism is not demonstrated merely by wearing a Coat of Arms brooch or carrying the Ghana flag, but through honesty and integrity in everyday conduct and the manner in which they discharge the responsibilities entrusted to them. He noted that while there is broad agreement that corruption and the waste of public resources are damaging the country, young people must also examine their own conduct and ask themselves how sincere they are in the positions and responsibilities they occupy.
The sitting featured debates on digital space and freedom of speech, affirmative action in public universities, and the allocation of funds to public universities.
The maiden National Youth Parliament Mock Sitting forms part of efforts to equip young people with the knowledge, confidence and civic skills needed to play an active role in Ghana's democratic governance and national development.
