The Ghana Youth Federation (GYF) has called on the President and Parliament to take immediate action following the exclusion of key youth institutions from the 2026 District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) allocation.
In a press release issued Thursday, 19 March 2026, the Federation said it was “deeply concerned” that the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the National Youth Authority (NYA) were left out of the GHS 8.7 billion fund.
According to the youth body, this omission is not a technical or administrative error but a direct contradiction of Ghana’s legal framework and national policies on youth development, employment, and empowerment. Both YEA and NYA are statutory institutions established by Acts of Parliament with clear mandates to support youth skills, employment, and empowerment nationwide.
The Federation said the lack of a dedicated allocation to these agencies undermines both law and policy, especially at a time when youth unemployment remains a pressing national issue. The surge in applications for limited security service positions, it added, reflects the growing pressure on job opportunities for young Ghanaians.
GYF has made several demands:
• Immediate revision of the 2026 DACF formula to include ring-fenced allocations for YEA and NYA before disbursement begins.
• Coordination at the highest level between the Office of the President, the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, the Ministry of Finance, and the DACF Administrator to ensure funding aligns with national youth policy.
• Intervention by the President and oversight by Parliament to protect youth interests.
“The youth of Ghana cannot be said to be a national priority while being systematically excluded from one of the country’s most critical development funds,” the statement said.
The Federation concluded that it would pursue all legitimate constitutional and civic avenues to ensure that young Ghanaians receive their fair share of national development resources.
Sherif Ghali, President of GYF, signed the release, reiterating the urgency of the matter.
