The Member of Parliament for Dormaa East in the Bono Region, Hon. Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah, has urged young people across Africa to harness the power of social media to drive social change, influence policy, and transform the continent’s natural resource governance.
Speaking at the 2025 African Youth Conference on Natural Resources and Environmental Governance, the MP emphasized that social media remains the most accessible and powerful platform for youth advocacy today.
“One of the biggest platforms we have as youth is social media. We can use it to change a lot of things for ourselves, lead important causes, and drive development. Let’s stop using it for insults and distractions—let’s use it to shape the future we want,” he charged.
The three-day conference, themed “Transforming Africa’s Natural Resource Governance Through Youth-Led Solutions”, was organized by the Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) and brought together over 300 participants including young leaders, government officials, civil society actors, and private sector stakeholders from across the continent.
Hon. Twum-Barimah also criticized the politicization of public service appointments and called on youth to rise above partisan divides.
He lamented that some youths have instead used social media to attack public figures, often along political lines, rather than focusing on promoting unity and action-driven advocacy.
“I’ve seen young people insult ministers online and later walk into those same offices asking for support. We must rethink how we use our voices,”- he added.
On environmental governance, the MP called for dedicated youth funding in the climate sector. He proposed the establishment of a green finance facility to support young people engaged in climate action initiatives. He stressed that such a fund must be protected from political interference and sustained through domestic budgeting and international support.
Citing examples from Nigeria and other African nations where youth-led social movements have driven major policy shifts, Hon. Twum-Barimah reiterated that Africa’s transformation hinges on the energy and innovation of its 830 million youth.
He also touched on the need to improve funding for district-level disability and social development programs, urging the youth to mobilize and advocate for policy reforms using digital platforms.
By Ebenezer Madugu
