By Ernest Bako WUBONTO
The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has highlighted the newly created ministry’s intention to initiate capacity-building programmes that equip the youth with technical know-how and link it to various employment opportunities within the ecosystem.
Speaking at the Agri-Business Youth and Women Dialogue (AYWD) in Accra, the minister noted that although numerous opportunities exist within state agencies for job creation and technical support, many young people are unaware of these programmes – a gap his ministry is determined to close.
The event, organised by the Africa Skills Hub Foundation (ASH) in partnership with the National Youth Authority (NYA) under the theme ‘Sustaining and Scaling Youth and Women-led Agribusiness for Economic Growth’, was attended by hundreds of youths and women entrepreneurs.
Mr. Opare Addo used the platform to outline his ministry’s vision to bridge the gap between youth empowerment and job creation.
“I acknowledge that while numerous opportunities exist within state agencies for job creation and technical support, many young people remain unaware of these programmes. Information dissemination about critical interventions has been lacking. This ministry will collaborate with all other ministries and agencies to ensure that the youth are well-informed about opportunities available to them,” he said.
He further emphasised that government agencies will no longer operate in silos. Instead, all 23 ministries will be integrated into a single platform where they will publish available opportunities. This centralised system will allow young people to access and apply for programmes they are qualified for and interested in.
Agribusiness as a Key Focus
Opare Addo highlighted the agriculture value chain as a critical industry for job creation and youth empowerment, noting that government’s upcoming ‘Ajumawura Programme’ will allocate 60 percent of its resources to support young people in agribusiness.
However, after listening to the young entrepreneurs enumerate their challenges, he acknowledged the challenges facing the sector and said: “It takes courage, boldness and determination to venture into agribusiness due to the myriads of challenges.”
Touching on concerns raised about transparency, he assured stakeholders that the ministry would operate with openness and accountability – ensuring that resources and opportunities are distributed fairly and efficiently.
“We are committed to creating a system where every young person has a fair chance to succeed. Like I always say, agriculture or agribusiness does not know any political colour, be it NDC or NPP, so we will create opportunities for all,” he said.
Executive Director-Africa Skills Hub, Daniel Antwi, highlighted that the AgriBiz Youth & Women Dialogue is not just a conversation but a defining moment for youth businesses.
“This is a moment to reimagine agribusiness as a driver of economic transformation, advocate for bold innovations and reflect on positioning women and youth as the future of Ghana’s agribusiness sector.
“We are proud to indicate today that we have been able to empower youth and women through our targetted innovative initiatives like the Agrifood Enterprise Programme (AFEP), ASH Micro-Credit and the District Skills and Entrepreneurship Roadshow in partnership with the NYA,” he said.
