The Dean of Students’ Affairs at the University of Ghana, Professor Rosina Kyeremateng, has encouraged young people, particularly students, to take advantage of available opportunities to develop themselves and contribute meaningfully to national development.
She made the call as Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark International Youth Day on August 12, 2026.
This year’s celebration was held under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” which highlights the shared aspirations of young people across different backgrounds and geographical contexts.
In an exclusive interview with Univers News, Prof. Kyeremateng urged young people to take advantage of opportunities in technology and artificial intelligence (AI), while encouraging students of the University of Ghana to make full use of the institution’s improved facilities, resources and extracurricular activities.
She noted that the advancement of technology has made a wide range of opportunities readily accessible to young people.
“They should take advantage of opportunities that come their way. The age we are living in is an age where everything is available at the touch of a button. Technology, AI, you know, there are so many opportunities that the youth can take advantage of to make themselves better and to position themselves where they would be above the others,” she said.
Prof. Kyeremateng also highlighted efforts by the University of Ghana to provide students with a transformative experience through improved facilities and resources.
She noted that the university’s first strategic priority is to provide students with a transformative experience and encouraged them to make use of the opportunities available on campus.
“So especially the youth of the University of Ghana, the students of the University of Ghana, the university, the first strategic priority of the University of Ghana is transformative student experience. And Vice Chancellor and her team have done a lot to make sure that students’ experience on the University of Ghana campus is the best,” she said.
She cited the provision of assistive technology for students with disabilities, modernised classrooms, improved library resources and developments in sports facilities as some of the opportunities available to students.
“We have classrooms that have been modernised. The Balme Library has been equipped with so much resources. You know, even when you come to extracurricular activities, the sports complex is being renovated every day.”
“We have new play courts, basketball, volleyball. You know, we just want students to have a transformative experience here on campus. And so they should take advantage of it,” she added.
Meanwhile, some students at the University of Ghana expressed excitement about the celebration, saying International Youth Day provides an opportunity to recognise the efforts, aspirations and contributions of young people to society.
“We are happy that the efforts, dreams and contributions of us young people are being recognised,” one student said.
Another student welcomed the recognition of young people, noting that many students combine their academic work with entrepreneurship and other economic activities.
“As young people, we are quite happy to have been recognised and celebrated because being a student isn’t quite easy, whereas most students are even business owners, so we study as well as working hard to earn a living,” he said.
The celebration serves as a reminder of the important role young people play in shaping the future of Ghana and the wider world.
International Youth Day also provides an opportunity for governments, organisations and other stakeholders to promote policies and programmes that support youth development and address challenges confronting young people.
In Ghana, the occasion highlights the need to create more opportunities for young people in areas such as education, employment, entrepreneurship and skills development.
The National Youth Authority (NYA) remains one of the key institutions responsible for implementing programmes aimed at empowering young people and equipping them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
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Story by Alvin Henry Akwei Allotey | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
