VRCC, UNFPA Engage Youth in Peer Review and Finalisation of 2026–2029 District Development Plans
December, 2025 Ho (V/R)
A two-day capacity-building workshop and peer review session has been held in Ho to enhance the meaningful participation of adolescents and young people in the review and finalisation of the 2026–2029 District Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDPs) of four beneficiary District Assemblies in the Volta Region.
The workshop, hosted at the Residency Conference Room in Ho over the weekend, was organised by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It brought together 40 adolescent and youth champions—ten each from Keta Municipality, Adaklu District, Akatsi North District and Central Tongu District—alongside District Planning Officers and other key sector stakeholders.
The engagement formed part of a structured peer review process aimed at ensuring that the development priorities of adolescents and young people are adequately reflected in district planning frameworks. Discussions focused on the draft 2026–2029 MTDPs, which serve as the main instruments guiding socio-economic development at the district level.
Participants reviewed the draft plans to assess the integration of cross-cutting issues such as youth development, gender equality, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR), maternal health, and the prevention and response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
District Planning Officers presented youth-related components of their respective draft MTDPs, outlining proposed programmes and projects targeting adolescents, young people and other vulnerable groups. These presentations stimulated in-depth discussions with youth champions, who evaluated the plans against community-level realities, including limited access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, high rates of unintended pregnancies, early marriage, sexually transmitted infections and persistent cases of SGBV.
Key development challenges identified in the MTDPs—such as gaps in sexual and reproductive health education and services, weak SGBV reporting and response systems, youth unemployment, limited access to technical and vocational training, and gender disparities—were critically examined. Participants assessed whether these issues were adequately captured and whether the proposed interventions were inclusive, feasible and responsive to the needs of young people, particularly girls, persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups.
Madam Thywil Eyra Kpe, Volta Regional Director of the Department of Gender, emphasised the importance of stakeholder engagement in development planning. She noted that the peer review process draws on the collective expertise of stakeholders to ensure that the MTDPs are inclusive, youth-responsive and aligned with regional and national development priorities.
Through interactive dialogue and peer learning, participants identified gaps in the draft plans and proposed practical recommendations for improvement. Priority was placed on strengthening youth-responsive and gender-sensitive programmes, enhancing SGBV prevention and response mechanisms, expanding adolescent-friendly health services, and ensuring that community inputs—especially those of young people—are reflected in the final MTDPs.
At the closing session, the Chief Director of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Alhaji Mohammed, commended participants for their active engagement and commitment throughout the workshop. He underscored the importance of youth voices in development planning and urged Municipal and District Planning Officers to translate the outcomes of the peer review into actionable and responsive development programmes.
The initiative is expected to strengthen coordination among development actors, promote shared learning and best practices, and contribute to improved socio-economic outcomes for young people in the Volta Region, in line with national development objectives and the principle of leaving no one behind.
