The University of Ghana has emerged as the overall winner of the Pan-African Grand Finale of the Shifting the Power Youth Debate, defeating teams from Zambia and Malawi in a keenly contested event that showcased youth leadership, policy innovation and locally driven development solutions.
The debate, organised under the Shifting the Power Programme, brought together university teams from Ghana, Zambia and Malawi to deliberate on pressing development challenges confronting the continent.
At the end of the contest, held in Accra on March 30, Team Ghana, representing the University of Ghana, secured first place, with Team Zambia finishing second and Team Malawi placing third.
The grand finale marked the culmination of several months of national-level debates across the three participating countries, during which teams refined their arguments and proposed solutions to key development issues affecting African communities.
Journey to the continental stage
The debate series began in January 2026 with national competitions in Malawi, Zambia and Ghana.
In Malawi, the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources progressed after a closely fought contest against institutions including the University of Malawi, Mzuzu University, the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, the Malawi University of Science and Technology and the Catholic University of Malawi. The team edged past the University of Malawi by three points to qualify for the continental finale.
In Zambia, the Copperbelt University overcame an early setback in the national rounds before mounting a strong comeback to defeat the University of Zambia in the final.
Ghana’s national competition featured strong participation from the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ashesi University and the University for Development Studies. Despite academic pressures, the University of Ghana team demonstrated resilience to secure victory and advance to the continental stage.
Focus on development challenges
Throughout the competition, participants tackled critical issues affecting communities across Africa, including community-led climate action, inclusive education, youth mental health, gender equality and participatory governance.
The debates were grounded in evidence and informed by local experiences, with the aim of influencing policy and promoting locally led development approaches.
Youth voices shaping development
The event, organised by the STAR-Ghana Foundation in partnership with the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), with support from development partners including Comic Relief, brought together policymakers, civil society organisations, development partners and students from across the continent.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of WACSI, Nana Asantewaa Afadzinu, underscored the growing role of young people in shaping development discourse in Africa.
“Young Africans are not merely the future of development; they are its present architects”, she said.
She noted that Africa remains the youngest continent globally, with more than 60 per cent of its population under the age of 25, making it essential for development processes to include the voices and ideas of young people.
Dr Afadzinu added that many development frameworks had historically been designed without sufficient input from the communities they were meant to serve, but initiatives such as the Shifting the Power Youth Debate were helping to change that by creating platforms for young people to contribute meaningfully to policy discussions.
She further highlighted that young Africans are already leading initiatives in areas such as climate justice advocacy, civic accountability, governance reforms and innovation in agriculture and food security.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
