Global Youth Leader - Joshua Opey

In our series of celebrating 30 Global Youth Leaders of 2024, Joshua Opey, comes first, hailing from, Ghana, the country known as the Gateway to Africa and it's warm friendly people and staying true to his roots, Joshua too, through his friendly demeanor and dedicated advocacy for youth development has made him into a role model for those to see, how humility, passion and perseverance can make one, a representative of 1.5 Billion Young Billion.

In his role as Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), Joshua leads strategies addressing critical challenges facing the Commonwealth’s 1.5 billion young people. Previously, he contributed to the CYC Campaigns and Communications Committee, designing tools and advocacy campaigns to enhance outreach efforts. His global impact extends to his membership on Generation Unlimited’s Global Young People Action Team, where he collaborates with UNICEF to develop solutions to pressing issues such as youth employment, education access, climate change, and digital equity. His involvement in UNICEF’s Youth Foresight Fellowship highlights his focus on mental health advocacy and strategic forecasting.

His career has been shaped by a commitment to empowering young Africans through corporate access and quality education. As the 56th General Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), he represented over 10 million students, driving initiatives to improve education access and quality.

Joshua is also the founder and Executive Director of the ABAN Center for Global Policy, Africa’s first youth-led policy think tank. Under his leadership, the center organized significant events like the Digital and Sustainability Experience summit and published influential policy briefs on topics such as education financing and constitutional reforms in Ghana. His achievements include co-authoring policy briefs, organizing a Study UK Exhibition at KNUST attended by over 1,000 participants, and leading career guidance initiatives with the German Development Cooperation and Ghana’s Ministry of Employment.

Academically, Joshua holds a Master of Arts in Brands and Communications Management from the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). His diverse skillset includes strategic communications, branding, foresight, child advocacy, and digital strategy. Professionally, he has contributed to organizations like Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA), where he developed strategies for marketing the Africa Education Research Database, and Rotaract, where he led impactful community service projects as Project Director. A Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) fellow, Joshua has further honed his leadership abilities to drive positive change across Africa.

With an enduring passion for policy and advocacy, Joshua continues to inspire young Africans by fostering opportunities for education, innovation, and sustainable development. His work resonates not only in Ghana but across Africa and the global Commonwealth, embodying his vision of empowering youth to create meaningful, long-lasting change.