The Speaker of the Sunyani Adolescent Parliament, Daniel Sarkodie Frimpong, has called for stronger adolescent participation in governance and city planning, stressing that young people should be regarded as active partners in development rather than mere beneficiaries.
He made the call at the Close-Out and Learning Summit of the Resilient City for Adolescents (RCA) Project, held at Sheila's Executive Hotel in Sunyani under the theme "From Participation to Systems Change: Strengthening Adolescent-Responsive Cities."
Mr. Frimpong said the three-year project had transformed adolescents' understanding of leadership, civic responsibility, and their role in community development. "Adolescents are not only beneficiaries of development. We are active partners in building healthy, safe and resilient cities," he said.
Before the project, he explained, many adolescents felt disconnected from governance because they believed policy discussions and development planning were the responsibility of adults alone. Through the Sunyani Adolescent Parliament and other platforms under the project, young people gained leadership and advocacy skills while engaging directly with authorities, in public speaking, communication, teamwork, accountability, and responsible institutional engagement.
Through parliamentary sittings, community forums, media engagements, and stakeholder meetings, adolescents discussed issues including education, sanitation, unemployment, safe spaces, wellbeing, and youth participation in governance. Several also acquired employable skills in fashion design, ICT, journalism, hairdressing, baking, beading, and soap making.
Mr. Frimpong urged stakeholders not to let the gains made under the RCA project fade with its conclusion, calling for a stronger Adolescent Parliament, more adolescent participation in city development planning, and greater investment in adolescent wellbeing and safe spaces. "The RCA Project has opened doors for us, but it is our responsibility to continue walking through those doors with purpose, discipline and vision," he said.
He thanked the Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), consortium partners, the Healthy Cities for Adolescents Initiative, Fondation Botnar, Ecorys UK, Sunyani Municipal and Sunyani West Municipal Assemblies, the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, and the National Youth Authority for supporting adolescent participation throughout the project.
