President urges youths to create cooperatives in order to maximize agricultural benefits.

To ensure that they receive the most out of the Youth in Agriculture program, young people have been advised by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to establish partnerships and cooperatives.

He claimed that the most effective strategy to mobilize funding for profitable endeavors on a larger scale when faced with resource constraints was to establish partnerships.

At a presidential forum on youth in agriculture last Wednesday in Accra, President Akufo-Addo offered guidance.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) came up with the idea for the conference.

Dr. Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, declared at the event that the government will reorganize the $40 million food systems resilience program, which was supported by the World Bank, in order to properly restore farmers whose crops had been destroyed by floods caused by dam spills.

“I have ordered that, in light of this emergency, the food systems resilience program, which is funded by the World Bank, be restructured to fully restore farmers whose farms have been destroyed as a result of the necessary action taken by the VRA to save us all,” the minister stated.

Youth

The Youth in Agriculture program, according to President Akufo-Addo, was designed with more chances for young people in mind and was centered on value chain development.

Thus, he expressed his gratitude to Dr. Acheampong, the Minister of Agriculture, for establishing the Youth in Agriculture platform and assured the program of the government’s unwavering support.

President Akufo-Addo stated that young people make up a substantial share of the nation’s population, estimated at 50%, in reference to the 2021 Population and Housing Census.

He continued, “It is therefore in our common interest to implement policies that will empower the youth at all times to help sustain the growth and development of our country.”

President Akufo-Addo stated that anything less would be a surefire prescription for social and economic calamity, manifested in a populace marked by high rates of unemployment and illiteracy, with the social vices that follow posing serious risks to national security.

The President said, “My government has invested in youth development programs since 2017 with the goal of developing the intellect of the youth while also offering them opportunities to entrepreneurship and employability.”

Interventions.

He enumerated a number of noteworthy youth interventions, including the establishment of STEM education, the Free SHS policy, the building of ten STEM high schools and centers, and Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET).

In addition, President Akufo-Addo discussed the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), the Ghana Library Authority’s modernization and retooling, the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo), and the introduction of the Students Loan Scheme’s no guarantor policy.

The President stated that despite those efforts, young employment continued to be a significant issue and cause for concern.

He said, “It is also encouraging that the second phase of Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ 2.0) addresses the issue of marketing through off-taker arrangements as part of the input credit module introduced under the program, in addition to encouraging large-scale production.”

President Akufo-Addo continued, “That would mitigate post-harvest losses and the risk associated with farming.”

“With this guarantee, there ought to be no justification for young people to stay away from agriculture.

He emphasized, “It is crucial to emphasize that the youth of Ghana represent the country’s future, and we rely on their vitality, new ideas, and inventiveness to enhance our collective fortune.

The President stated that the youth, both educated and uneducated, needed to participate in agriculture, which constituted a significant portion of the economy.

The President made hints that 2,000 young people would soon receive training in basic, intermediate, and advanced digital skills and that TVET and the Ghana Energy Commission would accredit another 20,000 artisans, including plumbers, tilers, masons, and beauticians after they completed training from master craftsmen.

He went on to say that in addition, fifteen thousand young people would receive training in corporate compliance, financial sustainability, and business skills.

Joblessness

“The well-being and aspirations of our youth are linked to the stability and prosperity of our nation,” stated Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations.

He went on to say that given the seriousness of the issue, a coordinated effort to find a long-term solution was required.

Mr. Awuah assured the throngs of young people in the nation that his organization was committed to looking into every possibility to provide long-term job possibilities.

About Author