Sunyani adolescent parliament formally inaugurated to deepen youth involvement in local decision-making

The Sunyani Adolescent Parliament has been formally established as a youth-led platform to strengthen adolescent participation in local governance, representation and decision-making in the municipality.

The formal establishment marks a significant step in efforts to provide adolescents with a structured platform through which they can raise issues affecting their lives, engage local authorities and contribute to discussions on the development of their communities.

The initiative was developed under the Resilient City for Adolescents (RCA) project, led by the Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) in partnership with Fondation Botnar, Ecorys UK, Citizens Watch Ghana and the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (IWEN).

Speaking at the event, CEO of Global Media Foundation, Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, said local government has a responsibility to ensure that different groups within communities, including young people, have opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their communities.

He noted that young people have historically had limited opportunities to sit at the same decision-making table with local government leaders, Members of Parliament, Assembly Members and other stakeholders.

Mr. Ahenu said the RCA project had therefore introduced the Adolescent Parliament alongside the Intermediary City Ecosystem Platform (ICEP) to strengthen adolescent participation and broader stakeholder engagement in local governance.

He explained that ICEP is intended to provide a platform through which municipal assemblies can regularly engage adolescents and other stakeholders in the development, implementation, monitoring and tracking of projects and programmes.

The event also featured discussions on the institutionalization of ICEP as a sustainable governance platform within the Sunyani Municipal and Sunyani West Municipal Assemblies.

The platform is designed to bring together local government, adolescents, civil society organisations, development partners, traditional authorities, private sector representatives and other relevant stakeholders.

Its functions will include facilitating collaboration, promoting evidence-informed decision-making, supporting integrated planning, strengthening participation and accountability, and monitoring the implementation of agreed priorities.

The proposed platform is expected to meet twice a year to deliberate on issues affecting young people’s growth, transformation, health and wellbeing. Its advisory and monitoring role is intended to complement, rather than replace, the statutory functions of the municipal assemblies.

Formal structures
The formal establishment of the Adolescent Parliament was marked by the ratification of its Constitution, confirmation of its leadership structures, the establishment of a Board of Patrons and the confirmation of its Secretariat.

The Constitution provides a framework for membership, leadership, representation, accountability, safeguarding and the participation of adolescents in local governance.

It places particular emphasis on adolescents being able to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their lives and communities, while requiring adolescent parliamentarians to consult their constituencies, gather concerns and priorities, and bring them before the Plenary.

Speaking on the significance of the development, Sarkodie-Frimpong Daniel, Speaker of the Sunyani Adolescent Parliament, said the formal establishment gives adolescents a greater sense of ownership of the Parliament and creates an opportunity to develop future leaders.

He said the Parliament would also use social media to reach adolescents who may not be able to participate directly in its activities.

His vision, he said, is to contribute to a city where the voices of adolescents are heard and included in decision-making.

Ishaq Umar Rahima, Co-Chairperson and Majority Leader of the Sunyani Adolescent Parliament, said her role would be to support the Speaker in providing effective leadership and ensure continuity in the work of the House whenever necessary.

She said her responsibilities also extended to representing the concerns and priorities of adolescents and ensuring that their voices reach appropriate decision-making spaces.

Ms. Rahima said her vision was for a Parliament that goes beyond sitting and deliberating to actively listen to adolescents, engage communities and ensure that young people’s concerns are reflected in decisions affecting their lives.

She further expressed the hope that the Parliament would grow into a strong and respected platform for adolescent participation in local governance, where young people are not only invited to speak but are genuinely considered in decision-making.

The Presiding Member of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, Abdul Razzack Abdulai, described the formal establishment as an important step towards creating a permanent platform for young people to understand and participate in local governance.

He said young people should be involved in discussions on matters affecting them because their own interests and aspirations cannot be understood better than by themselves.

Mr. Abdulai further noted that meaningful participation by young people could contribute to deeper decentralization and greater inclusiveness in local governance.

At the event, Princella Dzidzor Quarshie of the National Youth Authority and a member of the Board of Patrons said the Authority was committed to supporting the platform and ensuring that it functions effectively.

She described the role of the Board of Patrons as one of guidance and mentorship, emphasizing that the Board would support the young parliamentarians without taking away their leadership role.

She assured the parliamentarians that the Board would be available to provide guidance and support whenever needed.

Impact and future expectations
Edward Ayabilah, Programmes Manager at the Global Media Foundation, said the organisation was inspired to support the establishment of the Adolescent Parliament after recognising through the RCA project that adolescents had important ideas about their city but did not always have structured opportunities to contribute to decisions affecting them.

He said the Parliament was intended not merely as a place for young people to speak, but as a sustainable platform where adolescents could organise their voices, develop solutions and engage directly with decision-makers.

Mr. Ayabilah said the initiative had already produced visible changes among participating adolescents, particularly in their confidence and ability to engage with authorities.

According to him, adolescents who initially found it difficult to express themselves were increasingly able to stand before authorities, discuss issues affecting their communities and propose solutions.

He added that the initiative had also contributed to growth in their leadership and communication skills and their understanding of local governance.

The adolescents, he said, were increasingly seeing themselves not simply as beneficiaries but as partners in the development of their city.

Looking ahead, Mr. Ayabilah said that a year from the formal establishment, he would like to see the Parliament functioning independently and regularly, holding sittings, engaging adolescents across its constituencies and taking their priorities to the appropriate authorities.

He said an important measure of progress would be evidence that some of the Parliament’s resolutions had influenced actual decisions or actions by institutions.

Such outcomes, he noted, would demonstrate that adolescent participation was moving beyond simply having a voice towards achieving meaningful influence.

Accountable and connected Parliament
The newly elected leadership also outlined plans to make the Parliament more effective and accountable.

Wiado Justice Kodzo, Secretary of the Parliament, said his focus would be on ensuring that meetings, decisions and activities are properly documented and that decisions taken by the House are translated into clear action points and followed up.

He said records would include attendance, discussions, decisions and responsibilities, while an action tracker would help monitor progress on agreed activities.

Adwoa Agyeiwaa Nketiah, Coordinator of the Secretariat, said the Secretariat would provide operational and administrative support to the Parliament, particularly as members balance their parliamentary responsibilities with their education.

She said the Secretariat would work closely with the Secretary to strengthen coordination and documentation and ensure that members are able to participate fully.

For Edmond Osei Kwadwo, the Parliament’s Public Relations Officer, communication will be central to building public trust.

He said the Parliament would communicate its activities and achievements through social media, community engagements, school visits, public forums, press releases and regular reports.

He added that stories and testimonies from adolescents would also be used to demonstrate the impact of the Parliament’s work, stressing that open and honest communication would help make the institution more transparent, accountable and connected to the adolescents it represents.

The Organizer, Sai Blessing Okyere, said her priorities would include effective planning, responsible management of time and resources, order and accountability.

She said she would strengthen participation by ensuring that every parliamentarian has a specific responsibility and by creating active communication channels for updates, notices and one-on-one engagement.

She also highlighted team-building activities, community outreach and social activities as important ways of strengthening relationships among parliamentarians beyond the parliamentary chamber.

Looking beyond the project
The formal establishment comes as stakeholders seek to ensure that the gains made through the RCA project continue beyond the project period.

The institutionalization of ICEP and the formal structure of the Adolescent Parliament are intended to provide mechanisms through which young people can continue engaging with local authorities and other stakeholders beyond the lifespan of the project.

For the young parliamentarians, the occasion represents not only the creation of a formal structure but also a commitment to listening to, representing and amplifying the concerns of adolescents in Sunyani.

The Parliament’s leadership is expected to build on the structures established, strengthen engagement with adolescents across the municipality and work with local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that young people’s perspectives are reflected in discussions and decisions affecting their communities.

The broader vision shared at the event is for a more inclusive and adolescent-responsive city where young people are recognised not only as beneficiaries of development but also as active partners in shaping it.