University students equipped with policy, leadership skills

The President of the Nyansapo Fellowship 2026, Eric Coffie, has highlighted the importance of equipping young people with knowledge and skills in policy advocacy and analysis.

He made the remarks during the Nyansapo Fellowship 2026, held at the University of Ghana campus on October 3, 2026, under the theme “Leadership, Advocacy, and Strategic Communication.”

According to Eric Coffie, the fellowship is one of the organisation’s flagship programmes and is designed to train young people, particularly university students, to understand policy and contribute meaningfully to national development.

“This event is one of our flagship programmes, the Nyansapo Fellowship, which trains young people, especially students from various universities, in policy advocacy and analysis.

“Basically, it's about identifying the policy knot, especially the regulatory knot, which is becoming a barrier to entrepreneurship and also economic development in Ghana,” he said.

He explained that the maiden edition of the Nyansapo fellowship, which was presented by the Institute for Liberty and Economic Education (ILEE), is expected to become an annual programme aimed at developing more young people with expertise and interest in policy analysis.

“This is our maiden edition and we seek to keep doing this every year, because we need to train people in policy analysis. It will be just a few experts who are into policy analysis.”

Eric Coffie further stressed the need to encourage young people to take an active interest in policy, arguing that policy decisions play a major role in shaping the country’s development.

According to him, while many young people focus their attention on celebrities, important decisions that affect the country are often made through policy processes.

“We need to introduce young people to policy so they become interested in it because policy is one of the most vital things in our nation, since most of the decisions in our country are not made by the people that most of our young people are trying to follow, which we call the celebrities,” he added.

Also, speaking at the event, Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, underscored the importance of exposing young people to practical knowledge about governance, law and society beyond what is taught in the formal education system.

Kofi Bentil noted that some of the issues discussed at the event are not covered in school curricula, despite being essential to understanding and engaging with the system.

He said such lectures help bridge gaps in formal education and prepare young people to take up leadership roles in the future.

Kofi Bentil, who spoke on “How to Leverage Law and Free Market Principles for a Good Society,” said his presentation focused on fundamental rights, the social contract and the meaning of a good society.

According to him, the session was designed to help participants view these concepts from a practical perspective and understand how they apply to their everyday lives.

"So I'm very happy to be here and to contribute what I can. It inspires the youth, and it helps them to also know how to connect with the system.

"Very soon, some of the people here are going to be in charge and they need to know what I am doing, why I am doing it and when I can do what. And I therefore consider that these kinds of lectures are extremely important," Kofi Bentil said.