The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has challenged students across the country to use their voices responsibly to influence change, speak for the voiceless, and challenge injustice in society.
He said the youth must see public speaking as a calling to inspire change, to serve as an advocate for the vulnerable, and to uphold the dignity and rights of all people.
“See it as a calling to use your voice responsibly, speak to influence, speak for the voiceless, challenge injustice, and advocate a Ghana that upholds the dignity and rights of all its people,” he stated.
He gave the advice in a speech read on his behalf by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Akatsi North and Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe, at the official launch of the 2025 National Public Speaking Competition (NPSC) in Accra on Thursday, October 13, 2025.
The competition aims to unearth and develop the public speaking skills of senior high school students, encourage positive influence, and promote patriotism and national development through oratorical prowess.
The 6th edition of the competition, on the theme: “Sexual and Reproductive Health of the Adolescent Child”, seeks to build civic awareness, critical thinking, and leadership skills among young Ghanaians.
Youth initiative
Mr Bagbin said the NPSC had become one of the country’s most inspiring youth and development initiatives, offering a platform where intellect, confidence and empathy intersected.
He added that protecting the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents remained a national responsibility, essential to nurturing informed and morally grounded future leaders.
“As Parliament, we will continue to open our doors to young people, to listen to their voices, and to support programmes that strengthen civic education, public dialogue, and youth leadership, for it is only when the youth find their voices that democracy finds its strength,” the Speaker stated.
The Deputy Director-General for Management Services at the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Smile Gavua Dzisi, noted that adolescent sexual and reproductive health challenges posed grave dangers to the country’s future, citing alarming statistics of teenage pregnancies, early sexual activity, and rising cases of sexual violence.
She described these as a “ticking time bomb” destroying young lives and national productivity.
Prof. Dzisi also appealed to the media, religious, and traditional leaders to openly address the issue, while advocating economic empowerment and digital literacy for vulnerable youth.
The NDC MP for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, decried the growing cases of defilement and teenage pregnancy, calling them harsh realities threatening the country’s youth.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Weija-Gbawe and Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, hailed the competition as a transformative “laboratory of leadership”.
