Accra, July 11, 2025 \u2014 Ghana\u2019s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called for urgent and sustained investments in youth empowerment, vocational training, and inclusive national development policies. Her remarks came during the national celebration of World Population Day 2025, held under the theme \u201cEmpowering the Youth to Create Quality Families in an Inclusive Society.\u201d<\/p>\n
Delivering the keynote address, Hon. Gomashie described Ghana\u2019s youth as the nation\u2019s greatest asset and urged policy makers, educators, and communities to move beyond rhetoric and create structural systems that support young people. \u201cWe must create systems that enable young people to take charge of their lives,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n
Drawing from personal experience as a creative entrepreneur, the Minister encouraged youth to value vocational and entrepreneurial pursuits, citing her background in hair braiding and food vending to fund her education. \u201cI\u2019ve worked with my hands and my mind\u2014and I\u2019m proud of it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Hon. Gomashie also lauded President John Dramani Mahama\u2019s ongoing commitment to skills training, advocating for schools to evolve into innovation centers. She urged the youth to seize opportunities such as the One Million Coders initiative, and emphasized the need for education systems to nurture talents in arts, tourism, and culture. \u201cLet us learn to clap for one another. Let us honor our anthem and national symbols,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
In a solidarity message, Dr. Emily Nafambo, Deputy Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), echoed the Minister\u2019s appeal. She noted that more than a third of Ghana\u2019s population falls between ages 15 and 35, yet high youth unemployment and teenage pregnancy threaten their potential. \u201cGhana\u2019s greatest natural resource may not be gold or cocoa \u2013 it is the potential of its young people,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Angelina Kodua Nyanor, Acting Executive Director of the National Population Council (NPC), described youth development as a national emergency. Citing the consequences of teenage pregnancy and youth unemployment, she warned of a looming demographic crisis if investment in young people lags. \u201cTeenage pregnancy disrupts education and entrenches poverty. We must treat it as a development emergency,\u201d she urged.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Nyanor announced the NPC\u2019s development of a National Youth Development Index to monitor progress in education, health, employment, and civic engagement. She called for inclusive policies that reflect the realities of all youth, especially those in rural areas, girls, and persons with disabilities. \u201cEmpowering the youth is not an act of charity \u2013 it is a matter of national survival,\u201d she emphasized.<\/p>\n
Organized by the National Population Council in collaboration with UNFPA, the event brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, international development partners, and youth organizations, all united in the call for inclusive and action-oriented youth development strategies.<\/p>\n
Source: PR Unit- MoTCCA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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