Minority Leader inaugurates Young Commons Forum at UEW
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has underscored the critical role of young people in shaping Ghana’s future, stressing that their energy, creativity, and integrity remain the strongest drivers of national progress.
He was speaking on Friday, September 19, 2025, when he inaugurated the Young Commons Forum (YCF) Summit at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Central Campus.
Delivering his keynote address, Osahen Afenyo-Markin said the story of Ghana’s development had always been written by its young people, from the fight for independence to the current wave of innovation in technology and entrepreneurship.
Leadership
He reminded students that leadership was not simply about holding positions of power but about character, vision, and the ability to inspire meaningful action. Quoting management thinker Peter Drucker, he noted that “management is doing things right, but leadership is doing the right thing”. He urged the youth to rise above the partisan squabbles that often dominate politics.
He cautioned that Ghana cannot afford a cycle where political parties focus on attacking opponents instead of solving the country’s challenges. “What politicians often think is that by bringing down their opponents, they will become popular. Unfortunately, this mindset has kept our progress far behind where it should be,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin called on students to embrace innovation, digital creativity, and value addition, describing the current era as one of startups, coding, and problem-solving. He pointed to international examples such as Kenya’s mobile money revolution, South Korea’s technological transformation, and Singapore’s investment in education and human capital, stressing that Ghana’s youth could also drive such change if given the right support.
The Minority Leader also highlighted homegrown success stories in agriculture, fintech, and creative arts, insisting that when the ingenuity of the youth meets opportunity, “nation-building indeed happens.”
