The European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment, civic participation, and the development of Ghana’s creative arts industry.

Speaking at the 2026 International Youth Day celebration at the Jamestown Community Theatre in Accra, Team Leader for Governance and Security at the EU Delegation, Gisela Spreitzhofer, stressed the need for young people to play a more meaningful role in national development.

The event, organised in partnership with advocacy group Act for Change, brought together traditional leaders, civil society organisations, development partners, and hundreds of young people from Jamestown, Ussher Town, and surrounding communities.

Ms Spreitzhofer cautioned against what she described as tokenistic youth participation in governance and development programmes.

According to her, meaningful youth participation requires investment of time, resources and deliberate engagement. She said youth perspectives should also go beyond traditional discussions on employment and the creative arts to include critical national issues such as security, migration, sustainable agriculture, illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and the transition to clean energy.

“Tokenism is prevalent among many youth initiatives, as are excuses that there is not enough funding or time to invest in bringing youth into projects,” she said.

The engagement forms part of the EU-Ghana Youth Strategy for 2021 to 2027, which is built around three pillars—Engage, Empower, and Connect.

The strategy is also aligned with the EU Youth Action Plan in External Action and seeks to provide youth-led organisations with opportunities and resources to address challenges within their communities.

Ms Spreitzhofer cited the Team Europe Youth Sounding Board as an example of the EU’s efforts to institutionalize youth participation.

The board brings together 20 young Ghanaian leaders who provide input into EU-funded initiatives covering areas including trade, gender equality, and security.

The celebration formed part of activities marking 50 years of the EU’s presence in Ghana. Ms Spreitzhofer said the strong participation of young people demonstrated the potential of youth-led initiatives to influence national development.

“The energy of a gathering like this is incredible and powerful. It reminds me that the work we do is important,” she noted.