NYA grappling with financial challenges, multi-million projects left to rot

The National Youth Authority (NYA) is grappling with significant challenges as District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) fails to fulfil its obligations to the institution.

This situation has led to the abandonment of several sporting projects initiated by the Akufo-Addo administration since 2018, purportedly aimed at enhancing youth and sports development.

These projects, comprising Youth Resource Centres constructed nationwide - Wa, Navrongo, Yendi, Dorma Ahenkro, Nyinehin, Axim, Dunkwa-on-Offin, and North Kaneshie, have been left in a state of disrepair.

Only two, located in Ho and Koforidua, were hurriedly put into somewhat usable condition to host Ghana’s independence anniversary celebrations in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

The dire financial situation of the NYA has been attributed to the lack of quarterly allocations from the DACF since late 2022, resulting in the Authority’s inability to fulfil its contractual obligations, sources claim.

The sorry state of affairs and the clear wastage of the country’s scarce resources are solely attributable to the precarious financial position of the NYA. How any subvented institution of state can exist and be expected to perform its function under law when no financial releases are made to it for close to two years beats our estimation.

President Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia do not appear to be walking the talk when it comes to the development of the youth of this country; the National Youth Policy and its implementation are gathering dust, not being implemented, while the multi-million cedi projects started by the NYA are left to rot.

Efforts to seek clarification from the DACF have been unsuccessful, raising concerns about the sustainability of state-funded institutions like the NYA without adequate financial support.