The Board Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Akwasi Opong-Fosu, has underscored the critical role of student leadership in rebuilding national trust and strengthening democratic governance.

He made the remarks during an engagement organised by the Volta Region Students Association of Ghana (VORSAG) in collaboration with the Volta Development Forum, on the theme: “The Rising Generation: The Power of Student Leadership – Redesigning the Future.”

Delivering a keynote address on “Governance, Policy, and the Rising Responsibility of Student Leadership,” Mr. Opong-Fosu highlighted the pressing challenges confronting the nation, including rising political polarisation, transactional politics, weakened accountability systems, and the growing normalisation of zero-sum governance.

He stressed that the youth—particularly student leaders—hold the power to reverse these worrying trends by embracing principles that strengthen national cohesion and democratic resilience.

He urged them to:

Champion diversity and inclusion as essential pillars of unity

Reject self-serving leadership in favour of value-based, transformational models

Promote democratic governance, accountability, trust, ethical conduct, and strong institutions

Mr. Opong-Fosu reminded students that their influence extends beyond campus politics, noting that they are actively shaping the future character and integrity of the country.

He expressed appreciation to the organisers, traditional leaders, and the young participants whose contributions, he said, demonstrated commitment and insight.

The engagement, he added, reaffirmed his belief that Ghana’s future remains promising when its youth choose integrity, courage, and patriotism over division and opportunism.