NYA leads youth clean-up exercise in Wa to mark National Youth Month

The Upper West Regional Directorate of the National Youth Authority (NYA), in collaboration with the Wa Municipal Assembly, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) and other partners, has mobilised more than 200 young people to clean major public spaces in Wa as part of activities marking the 2026 National Youth Month.

The exercise, held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, covered the desilting of choked gutters, the cleaning of markets, streets and the Youth Resource Centre, with participants drawn from youth groups, schools, civil society organisations and volunteer networks including Children and Youth in Broadcasting (Curious Minds), whose Clean Green Wa project aligns with the initiative.

The Upper West Regional Director of the NYA, Ms Vida Addi, said the exercise demonstrated the patriotism of young people through voluntary service to their communities.

She said the activity formed part of a month-long programme under the theme, "Rebuilding Values, Inspiring Patriotism, Empowering the Youth in the Digital Age," and urged young people to sustain the spirit of volunteerism beyond the celebration.

The Upper West Regional Coordinator of NEIP, Mr Abdulai Ibrahim, said the clean-up reflected the commitment of young people to national development and encouraged the youth to continue participating in community development initiatives.

He commended the various youth organisations, school cadet corps and the media for supporting the exercise and emphasised that the youth must be recognised as active contributors to national development.

The Secretary General of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation and Chairperson of the Upper West Regional Taekwondo Association, Mr Kankpenuba P.N. Wisdom, said sanitation should become a daily habit rather than an occasional activity.

He noted that youth organisations had a responsibility to model positive behaviour and inspire other young people to take ownership of their environment.

Youth participant and Curious Minds volunteer Umar Saeed Sidibe described the exercise as timely, saying poor waste disposal and choked drains had contributed to flooding incidents across the country, while noting that the activity complemented the objectives of the Clean Green Wa project.

Lilian Naalu-Ib of the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament and She Leads Social Movement urged young people to willingly participate in voluntary community service, stressing that keeping the environment clean should not depend on financial incentives.

The National Youth Month celebration will continue with dialogues and other youth-centred activities ahead of the national event in Kumasi from August 11 to 13.