Vice President Professor Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has underscored the central role of children and young people in Ghana’s long-term development, stressing that the country’s future growth will depend on how effectively it protects and invests in them today.
Speaking at a Strategic Planning Retreat organised by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) in partnership with UNICEF Ghana, the Vice President described child-focused planning as both a moral responsibility and a strategic national investment. The retreat, held on Thursday, January 28, 2026, was themed “Planning Together for a Better Future for Children and Adolescents in Ghana” and brought together stakeholders across government, civil society and development institutions.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang noted that decisions taken across multiple policy areas — including education, social protection, justice, sanitation, economic management, climate resilience and governance — directly shape the wellbeing and future prospects of children. She warned that neglecting these linkages would undermine Ghana’s development ambitions.
“Our discussions reaffirmed a simple truth: if we fail our children today, we fail Ghana tomorrow,” she said, emphasising that the success of the retreat must be measured by concrete action rather than dialogue alone. She acknowledged that child poverty and deprivation remain persistent challenges, calling for deliberate, coordinated and sustained interventions.
In response, the Vice President highlighted several child-centred reforms being implemented by government. These include the Care Reform Roadmap, which prioritises safe, family-based care over institutionalisation, and the Digital Social Services initiative aimed at improving coordination, accountability and child protection outcomes. She also pointed to ongoing programmes such as coordinated social services delivery, adolescent safe spaces, community-based prevention initiatives and the Ghana Against Child Abuse campaign.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang further stressed the importance of the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy, describing investment in children aged zero to eight as critical to Ghana’s long-term development and ability to harness its demographic dividend.
“These efforts reflect our firm belief that Ghana’s future growth depends on how well we protect and invest in our children today,” she said. She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector, development partners and communities, urging that child-centred priorities be embedded across all national planning frameworks.
The Vice President concluded by highlighting the need for robust monitoring systems to track commitments and ensure accountability, noting that sustained and coordinated action remains essential to removing barriers facing children and building a more equitable Ghana.
