Activista engages youth on constitutional review and decentralisation proposals

Activista, a youth network of ActionAid Ghana, has held a stakeholder sensitisation programme in Wa to engage young people on the Constitution Review Committee’s recommendations and government’s position on local government and decentralisation.

The programme, held on September 30, 2026, brought together young people from Activista district networks and youth institutions including the Upper West Regional Youth Parliament, Young Urban Women Movement and the National Youth Authority.

It was supported by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

Upper West Regional Coordinator of Activista, Zaato Ernest, said the engagement was intended to help young people understand key proposals emerging from the constitutional review process and provide their perspectives on issues affecting the country’s governance.

He said the Constitution Review Committee had made recommendations on issues including the proposed election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and possible changes to the tenure of the President and Members of Parliament.

The programme facilitator and CDD-Ghana representative in the Upper West Region, Gbene Sakibu Fuseini, said the discussions focused particularly on local government and decentralisation.

He said the proposal to elect MMDCEs could strengthen political accountability at the local level, while participants were also encouraged to take the discussion to other youth groups and community organisations.

“The participants that are here are also expected, when they go back, to cascade the effect of whatever they have learned to other members and other social groups,” he said.

The engagement also generated different views among participants on some of the proposed changes.

Secretary of the Activista Daffiama-Bussie-Issa Chapter, Abu Osman Sundile, said he supported the proposal for elected MMDCEs because it would make local executives directly accountable to residents.

He, however, disagreed with the proposal to extend the presidential and parliamentary term from four to five years, arguing that effective planning should allow governments to deliver within the existing four-year term.

“I don't see the need for that extra year personally,” he said.

For Gbolo Rashida of the Young Urban Women Movement, the programme provided a clearer understanding of the constitutional review process.

She said she was particularly interested in proposals relating to the representation of women and young people in governance.

“Holistically, the programme is an eye-opener for me. I've learned a lot,” she said.

The Constitution Review Committee was established in 2025 to review the 1992 Constitution and make recommendations for amendments. The Presidency released the committee’s final report in December 2025 and government published its position paper on the recommendations in July 2026.

The constitutional review process has now moved towards implementation, with government expected to pursue some proposals through Parliament and others through a referendum, depending on the constitutional provisions involved.

Under Article 290, amendments to entrenched provisions require a referendum in which at least 40 percent of eligible voters participate and at least 75 percent of those who vote support the proposed amendment.

The government has said it intends to hold the referendum alongside the District Assembly elections in 2027.