10th African youth and governance conference launched in Accra

Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF), a non-governmental organisation focused on creating supportive platforms to challenge the creativity of the Youth and to make available critical information and resources needed for total their development has launched the 10th African Youth and Governance Conference (AYGC) in Accra at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

Under the Conference theme “MOBILIZING AFRICA’S YOUTH TO BUILD A CONTINENT BEYOND AID”, the search for advancing this agenda shall be pursued at the 10th AYGC, Accra 2018 with youth from 20 African Countries, 30 Diaspora youth and 7 coaches from Canada. The conference will have resource persons drawn from Cornell, Dalhousie and McMaster Universities joining other Ghanaian resource persons.

The theme emphasizes the critical need to pull resources of young people to transform the continent and strive towards Africa’ aspirations ‘beyond aid’.

AYGC 2018 is the convergence of a 4-tier transformational leadership program for leadership grooming, cascade of mentorship, community impact, and networking for African and Diaspora youth.

The conference which is targeted at creating the platform for African youth to critically analyse policy documents and discuss issues affecting the development of the continent has been in existence since 2009.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Mr. Seth Oteng gave a brief on the 10th AYGC and indicated that the conference will take place at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel from August 5 – 12, 2018.

“African has gotten to the point where it critically needs to pull resources of young people to transform the continent and strive towards its aspirations beyond aid. We have a lot of resources and untapped potentials waiting to emerge”. He said “with a youthful population we have no choice than to harness youth potential through education to tap into these talents of youth both in Ghana and the diaspora.”

Madam Nadia Adongo Musah, the Deputy Director in charge of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President said Diasporas youth have extensive knowledge and Ghana needs to mobilize her citizens abroad to share and start innovative projects in the country.

“The office through the Diaspora Internship Programme harnesses the talents of the youth abroad by placing them in local Ghanaian companies where they assist for mutual benefits supporting host companies” she said. She adds that such platforms are useful in connecting 2nd and 3rd generation Diasporas to Africa to preserve their link to the continent.

Dr. Kojo Asante, the Advocacy Director of CDD-Ghana, said the conference remain relevant to Ghana and African which would give hope, progress, and an innovative knowledge to participants as well as fulfil their dreams.



Julio De Medeiros (ESQ), board member of YBF in his remarks observed that media houses today in our part of the world have youthful staff and thus tasked them to embrace the conference theme and advance the agenda of youth inclusion in building Ghana and African beyond aid. He also partners of the conference for their support over the years highlighting the importance of such partnership to youth development especially MTN Foundation and Ghana Tourism Authority.

AYGC alumni shared their experiences and encouraged the youth to take advantage of such leadership grooming programmes.

‘AYGC is a leadership forum that gives one the opportunity to engage with peers, mentors and decision makers both at the national and global level” said Ms. Princess Sekyere, an Alumni of AYGC and President of the 10th AYGC session. She added that her leadership skills and objective policy analysis have been greatly improved. Her international exposure citing the opportunity to make a Statement at the Sixty Second session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62) at the United Nations.

Mr Benjamin Larbi, who is also an Alumni expressed how AYGC had prepared him to excel in his endeavours and engaging with corporate leaders in 18 countries of the world.

The Foundation has successfully organised the AYGC since 2009 with the main focus grooming the African you in these four areas; Leadership Grooming, Cascade of Mentorship, Community Impact and Networking & Exchanges.

YBF, initiator and convenor of the annual leadership grooming programme, is a Non-Governmental youth-focused organization accredited with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Special Consultative Status is the. As a youth-focused educational organization, it has the goal of bridging the gaps of the youth for positive youth development.