United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH)

What United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH) does

United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH) is the youth wing of the United Nations Association-Ghana (UNA-GH), the only nationally recognized UN Association in Ghana affiliated with the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). UNA-GH traces its origins to 1952 (originally as GUNA, renamed in 2002) and operates as a non-profit organization whose mandate is to align government policy with the Sustainable Development Goals, promote human rights, and advance youth development. UNYA-GH specifically mobilizes young Ghanaians aged roughly 15–35 across all 16 regions of the country, supported by a national secretariat and regional executive structure of approximately 33 staff and a current membership base of about 3,000 individuals.

The organization's core product offering centers on civic programming — SDG advocacy campaigns, human rights education, and youth leadership initiatives — delivered through its national chapter network. In January 2023, UNYA-GH launched UNAAPP, a mobile application developed in partnership with Akwaaba Solutions, which digitizes membership registration, dues management, and member engagement. UNAAPP is the primary technology asset and serves as the operational backbone for scaling the organization beyond its physical chapter structure.

UNYA-GH's business model is a non-profit membership-fee model with tiered individual dues ranging from GHS 120 at the entry level up to a GHS 5,000 lifetime membership tier, generating small-ticket, long-tail revenue. There is no disclosed enterprise customer base or anchor donor named in the available information. Strategic engagement with bilateral actors (US Embassy), traditional authorities (the Asantehene), and line ministries (Foreign Affairs; Gender, Children and Social Protection) suggests an evolving effort to diversify funding beyond membership dues, including potential grants and sponsorships. A stated goal of mobilizing 1 million volunteers indicates an ambition to materially expand the membership and donor base from its current scale.

Name

United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH)

Legal name

United Nations Association-Ghana (UNA-GH)

Website

https://unyagh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UNYA-GH is the youth wing of UNA-GH, the only WFUNA-affiliated UN Association in Ghana. It mobilizes approximately 3,000 young members across all 16 regions through SDG advocacy, human rights programming, and the UNAAPP digital membership platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit youth advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), Environment, Climate & Sustainable Development IGOs (BPADAAAI), Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA)

Keywords

• Youth advocacy programs
• UN civic engagement
• Membership association services
• SDG awareness campaigns
• Volunteer mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees collected from individual members at various tiers (Regular, Executive, Sponsor, Partner, Patron, Goodwill Ambassador, Life-Time). Revenue supports administrative operations and programs.
2. UNAAPP Service Donations: UNA-GH members are required to donate a token fee to enjoy services on UNAAPP and to support management of the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UNYA-GH is the youth wing of the United Nations Association-Ghana, engaging young Ghanaians in advocacy, education, and volunteer action aligned with UN objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It mobilizes members across all 16 regions of Ghana to participate in peace-building, civic engagement, and humanitarian programs, supported by the UNAAPP mobile membership and engagement platform.

Product overview

UNA-GH operates as a membership-based non-governmental organization affiliated with WFUNA. The primary digital product is UNAAPP, a membership data management application available on Google Playstore and Apple Store. The organization also has several functional commissions including the United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH) as its youth wing, the United Nations Association-Commission on Women & Children Affairs (UNA-CWCA), and UNAGH Artisans project. UNAAPP serves as the central platform for member registration, data management, and payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UNAAPP: Membership data management app designed for UNA-GH members to manage membership data, coordinate branches/groups, and engage members with MoMo/Card payment solutions
• UNYA-GH (United Nations Youth Association-Ghana)
• UNACWCA (UNA-Commission on Women & Children Affairs)
• UNAAP (UNA Artisans Project)

Products and services

• UNAAPP Mobile Membership and Engagement Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal to mobilize over 1 million volunteers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNA-GH is affiliated with WFUNA as the only recognized UN Association in Ghana. WFUNA is the only global organization with the primary mission of supporting the principles and purposes of the United Nations, representing over 100 national UNAs.
• Akwaaba SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner powering UNAAPP, the membership data management mobile application. UNAAPP is available on Google Playstore and Apple Store and provides secure payment solutions (MoMo/Card) for membership fees.
• United Nations Association-Ghana (UNA-GH)coreOthersUNYA-GH is the youth wing of UNA-GH. UNA-GH is the main people's movement of the UN in Ghana, working to achieve UN objectives through education and engagement.
• Asantehene Otumfour Osei Tutu II / Asante KingdommajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNA-GH/UNYA-GH has engaged with the Asantehene who is a potential Patron of the organization. The Asantehene is recognized globally for his leadership and supports peace-building initiatives.
• US Embassy in GhanamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNA-GH seeks collaboration with the US Embassy for SDG programs including women empowerment, human rights protection, peace and security, climate action, quality education, and skills training.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNA-GH fosters bilateral ties with the Ministry to advance UN causes. The Ministry acknowledged UNA-GH's role and expressed readiness for deeper collaboration on UN thematic goals of Peace, Security, Sustainable Development and Human Rights.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Restless Development: Restless Development is a youth-led development agency active in Africa and Asia, focused on youth participation in decision-making and peacebuilding. It is comparable to UNYA-GH in its Resolution 2250-aligned youth, peace, and security agenda.
• World YWCA: World YWCA is a global movement working on women's empowerment, gender equality, and youth leadership. It is comparable to UNA-GH's UNA-CWCA wing on gender, women's rights, and child welfare themes.
• Peace Direct: Peace Direct supports local peacebuilding organizations globally, with significant overlap in the youth, peace, and security agenda. Its thematic focus on grassroots peace action aligns with UNYA-GH's Resolution 2250-driven mission.
• Search for Common Ground: Search for Common Ground is a global peacebuilding NGO with significant operations in West Africa, focusing on conflict transformation and youth engagement. Its peace and security thematic work overlaps directly with UNYA-GH's Resolution 2250 mandate.
• AIESEC: AIESEC is a global youth-led organization operating in 100+ countries with a focus on youth leadership, cross-cultural exchange, and development. It is an emerging peer in the youth civic engagement space with comparable chapters and volunteer mobilization.

Broad incumbents

• World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA): WFUNA is the umbrella organization coordinating over 100 national UNAs globally and is the recognized parent of UNA-GH. It is directly comparable as the global federation of UN-affiliated civil society organizations, with similar advocacy, education, and partnership missions.
• United Nations Foundation: The UN Foundation is a major UN-affiliated advocacy and grantmaking organization supporting UN causes globally. It is a broader incumbent but shares UNA-GH's SDG advocacy, youth engagement, and partnership-building mandate with much greater resources.

Direct peers

• United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA): UNA-USA is the largest national UNA, affiliated with WFUNA, and operates an analogous mission of UN advocacy, education, and grassroots engagement in the United States. Its chapter structure, membership tiers, and policy advocacy closely mirror UNA-GH's model.
• United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK): UNA-UK is the WFUNA-affiliated national UNA serving the United Kingdom, with comparable programs on SDGs, human rights, peace and security, and youth engagement. Its non-partisan advocacy and member-driven model closely parallel UNA-GH.

Others

• UN Youth Delegate Programme: The UN Youth Delegate Programme is a UN-system initiative that trains and embeds young people in national delegations. UNA-GH's UN Youth Delegate Programmes offering makes this a closely related program peer, though it is not a standalone NGO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/unaghghana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-nations-youth-association-ghana-unya-gh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH)