Ghana Priorities Youth Forum takes place in Cape Coast

The Ghana Priority Youth Forum aimed at soliciting ideas and expectations for Ghana's development plan has been held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The forum which was on the theme: “The relevance of using data for policy decision making", was a follow up of the "Eminent Panel Conference" which took place earlier 2020.

The Ghana Priority project is a collaboration between Copennhagan Consensus Centre (CCC), a global think-tank focused on using data for effective policy solutions using cost benefit analysis and the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

The project seeks to provide government and the international donor community with systematic processes to help prioritise the most effective policy solutions and help accelerate the achievement of the national development agenda as well as the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

Addressing the ceremony, the Executive Director of the NDPC, Dr Kojo Mensah Abrampah, said the NDPC could not compel political parties to align their manifestoes with national development plan.

He, however said, if political parties were able to design a manifesto which fell in line with the longterm perspective of the country, there was high probability that whatever they pursue under the manifesto would be close to reality.

Dr Abrampah said it was up to political parties to develop strategies to implement what was outlined in their manifestoes.

“The manifesto is an intention and the intention must be probed by relevance, by feasibility and probed within a time frame, he added.

The NDPC director was satisfied with the trend of development of the country but stressed that though Ghana’s development was on course, there was the need to set the priorities right.

For his part, the Coordinator of Ghana Priorities, (CCC), Dr Ralph Nordjo, explained that the Ghana Priority research project sought to explore the smallest solutions to help the nation.

The project which focused on the SDGs begin 18 months ago with the selection of more than 400 development intervention policies in line with the national development agenda.