The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has renewed its call for stronger youth participation in the fight against corruption, urging young Ghanaians to become champions of integrity and accountability as the country commemorates the 2026 African Anti-Corruption Day.

In a statement to mark the 2026 African Anti-Corruption Day observance on Saturday, July 11, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Mrs Beauty Emefa Narteh, said this year's theme, "Scaling Up the Promotion of Integrity and Anti-Corruption Actions Across Africa," highlights the need for governments, institutions, communities and citizens to work together in tackling corruption.

She stressed that promoting integrity is a collective responsibility that requires sustained commitment from all sectors of society, with particular emphasis on empowering young people.

"Promoting integrity and combating corruption are shared responsibilities. Building societies founded on honesty, transparency, and accountability requires the collective commitment of governments, institutions, communities, and citizens, especially young people," Mrs Narteh stated.

GACC celebrates 25 years

This year's African Anti-Corruption Day holds additional significance for the coalition as it celebrates 25 years of promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in Ghana.

According to Mrs Narteh, GACC has spent the past quarter-century working with state institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to strengthen Ghana's anti-corruption framework, while investing significantly in programmes that empower the country's youth.

She said young people remain central to the coalition's long-term strategy because they have the potential to influence positive behavioural change and help build a corruption-free society.

"Over the past years, we have partnered with relevant actors to strengthen efforts to combat corruption in Ghana. At the heart of this work has been our commitment to empowering young people," she said.

More than 23,000 students reached

Highlighting the impact of GACC's youth-centred initiatives, Mrs Narteh disclosed that the coalition reached more than 23,000 students through school sensitisation programmes conducted under its Local Accountability Networks (LANets) initiative in 2025.

The awareness campaigns were carried out across 40 districts in all 16 regions of Ghana.

Building on that achievement, she announced that GACC has expanded the programme's coverage this year to 85 districts nationwide, with the aim of reaching even more students and communities.

"Building on this success, we are expanding our outreach this year to 85 districts nationwide, creating opportunities for even more young people to learn, engage, and become champions of integrity," she noted.

Youth voices to shape anti-corruption efforts

As part of this year's activities, GACC is organising the Capture Youth Voices Open Forum, a platform designed to give young people the opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives on corruption.

Mrs Narteh explained that the forum would enable the coalition to better understand how corruption affects the aspirations and daily lives of young people while encouraging them to contribute practical ideas for promoting accountability.

She said empowering young people to speak openly about corruption would strengthen national efforts to build a culture of integrity.

"Through this platform, we are committed to listening directly to the youth, understanding how corruption affects their daily lives and aspirations, and engaging them in meaningful conversations on practical actions they can take to promote accountability and integrity," she said.

Renewed call to fight corruption

Mrs Narteh urged Ghanaians to reaffirm their commitment to integrity, stressing that every honest action contributes to building a transparent and prosperous society.

She emphasised that defeating corruption requires active participation from every citizen and cannot be left solely to governments or anti-corruption institutions.

"The fight against corruption is a shared responsibility that demands the active participation of all. Every act of honesty, every decision to do what is right, and every effort to promote accountability brings us closer to the transparent, just, and prosperous society we aspire to build," she said.

Addressing young people directly, she challenged them to reject corruption in all its forms and become agents of change within their communities.

"Resist, Reject, and Report corruption. Your voice matters, your actions matter, and your choices matter. You are not only the leaders of tomorrow; you are the champions of integrity today and the driving force behind a more transparent and accountable future," Mrs Narteh urged.

She also acknowledged the contributions of GACC's partners, singling out the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for supporting this year's commemoration. She described the partnership as instrumental in making the activities marking the day possible.