Enhancing Youth Empowerment Through Development Communication Strategies In Lower Manya Krobo

Abstract

Youth empowerment has emerged as a crucial dimension of sustainable development, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where young people constitute a significant portion of the population but remain largely excluded from participatory governance and communication processes. This study explored how development communication strategies can be effectively utilised to empower youth in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of Ghana. Anchored in the Participatory Development Communication (PDC) theory, the research adopted a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to provide both breadth and depth of understanding. Quantitative data were collected from 200 respondents through structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained from interviews and focus group discussions with 30 participants, including youth leaders, communication officers, and community stakeholders. The findings revealed that social media (33%), television (32%), and radio (16.5%) were the most frequently used communication platforms for accessing community and development information. Although the majority of respondents (79.5%) considered communication platforms easy to access, significant disparities persisted between urban and rural youth due to infrastructural and economic barriers. Moreover, 94.5% of respondents had heard of development communication, and 95.5% recognised the critical role of youth in communication for development. However, challenges such as high data costs, poor network connectivity, and language barriers limited full participation. Opportunities identified included the use of community radio, digital media, and participatory theatre to enhance inclusivity and engagement. The study concludes that development communication, when participatory, culturally grounded, and context-specific, can serve as a transformative tool for youth empowerment. It proposes a participatory communication framework that integrates traditional and digital media, capacity-building, and community dialogue to promote sustainable youth involvement in development processes.