The Youth Bridge Foundation has expressed concern over the exclusion of the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, from the cabinet.

In a statement, the group described it as a "missed opportunity to advance youth aspirations at the highest level of government."

The foundation commended President John Dramani Mahama for his bold decision to decouple the Ministry of Youth and Sports, creating a dedicated Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, a move it had advocated for since its 2016 policy brief on youth development in Ghana.

They further lauded the President for appointing a relatively young leader to head the newly established ministry, signaling a step towards youth inclusion. However, the foundation raised concerns that excluding the minister from the cabinet weakens the representation of youth-related issues in key national decision-making processes.

According to the Youth Bridge Foundation, over 38% of Ghana’s voter population consists of young people, making their inclusion in governance critical.

The foundation argued that experience is built through participation and that understudying seasoned cabinet members would allow the youth minister to gain institutional knowledge while providing fresh perspectives on national issues.

“The exclusion of the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, who is admittedly new to the ministerial office, reinforces the outdated belief that young leaders lack experience to serve at the highest levels of government,” the statement noted.

While acknowledging the constitutional limitation on cabinet size as outlined in Article 76(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the foundation urged President Mahama to consider including the Youth Minister in a future cabinet reshuffle.

This, according to them, will ensure that youth aspirations are defended at the highest level and enable the Youth Minister to learn from experienced cabinet members.