NYA calls for collaboration to address youth challenges

The National Youth Authority (NYA) has called on stakeholders spanning various sectors of Ghana’s economy, imploring them to join forces to address the array of challenges confronting the country’s youth.

The Chief Executive of NYA, Pius Enam Hadzide, made the call during a two-day National Dialogue for Youth Development in Ghana at the Ange Hill Hotel in Accra, under the theme “Breaking barriers; Creating a Stronger Youth Development Ecosystem”. It was part of activities to mark this year’s ‘National Youth Month’.

It brought together representatives from government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and private sector industries for discussions geared towards the development of a strategic plan to address the myriad of challenges that the youth face in Ghana. Some included the Red Cross, Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER-UG), Narcotics Control Commission (NCC), Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) among others.

Pertinence

Mr Enam Hadzide noted that, during this month, pertinent issues concerning Ghanaian youth, will be brought to the fore, for the Ghanaian society to appreciate the work of the inputs of President Akufo-Addo towards the young people.

He indicated that the ‘National Youth Month’ had initiated well-thought out interventions to create opportunities for and restore hope in the teeming youth of the country. The initiatives, he mentioned, include skills development and the expansion of vocational and technical training facilities across the country

He, therefore, pledged the government’s commitment to continue developing initiatives to educate the youth and create opportunities to support their development.

He outlined that, so far, the numerous measures his government had in place to develop the youth in the country including jobs through the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) are visible to the blind and audible to the deaf.

To make this year’s multi stakeholder dialogue a success, he encouraged all participants to actively contribute suggestions and recommendations to the ongoing discourse. Notably, he revealed that the session would encompass a range of interventions, including stakeholder mapping, needs assessment, privatization, action planning, and implementation.

“The multi-stakeholder dialogue represents an earnest effort to not only acknowledge the potential of Ghana’s youth but also to channel collective energies toward fostering an environment conducive to their development. As the nation’s future leaders, the empowerment of the youth is a shared responsibility that requires unity and concerted action,” he emphasised.

Ecosystem

Mr. William Kartey, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, on behalf of the sector Minister, Mustapha Ussif, said the youth development ecosystem is the most challenging per the various challenges that the country’s youth are grappling with in contemporary times.

Over the past five years, he said the Akufo-Addo government had implemented forward-thinking policies such as Free Senior High School (Free SHS), National Builders Corps (NABCO), National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), and the latest addition, the YouStart Programme.

These policies, Mr Kartey emphasised, are aimed at directly nurturing the youth of the nation. He, however, noted that several state institutions responsible for executing these policies had been operating without much public attention, hindering the assessment of the true impact of government interventions.

The Ministry of Sports, Mr Kartey stated, is fully committed to engaging in dialogue to tackle the identified challenges. He expressed his enthusiasm for this dialogue and called upon stakeholders to collaborate actively in devising solutions for issues like substance abuse, youth unemployment, and youth peace and security.

The Chief Director of the Sports Ministry further extended his congratulations to the youth of Ghana on the occasion of the National Youth Month, urging them to continue striving for progress and development.