The National Youth Authority (NYA) marked the Africa Youth Day in Accra today with a call for a youth-led movement to transcend borders.
The event, which was themed “1 Million Next Level is Knocking: Youth-led Movement that Transcends Borders,” was celebrated to recognize the incredible potential, creativity, and resilience of the youth of Ghana and Africa.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Mustapha Ussif, urged the youth to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to create jobs and businesses.
“The AfCFTA is a game-changer for the youth of Africa,” Mr. Ussif said. “It presents us with an opportunity to create a single market of 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. This is a huge opportunity for the youth to start their own businesses, export their products and services, and create jobs for themselves and others.”
Mr. Ussif also urged the youth to be innovative and entrepreneurial. “The world is changing rapidly, and the youth need to be at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said. “We need to come up with new ideas and solutions to the challenges that we face.”
He also highlighted some of the government’s initiatives to support the youth, such as the YouStart Programme, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), the Planting for Food and Jobs, the Youth in Agriculture, the National Youth Volunteers Programme, and the Skill Towards Employability and Productivity (STEP) project.
The Minister commended the youth for their resilience and determination in the face of challenges. “The youth of Africa are the future of this continent,” he said. “You are the ones who will lead Africa to greatness. I have no doubt about that.”
In her remarks, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NYA, Akosua Manu, called on the youth to be united and to work together to build a better future for themselves and for Africa.
“We need to be united as the youth of Ghana and Africa,” Ms. Manu said. “We need to work together to overcome the challenges that we face and to build a better future for ourselves and for our continent.”
She also urged the youth to take advantage of the programs and initiatives that the NYA is implementing to support them.
“The NYA is committed to supporting the youth of Ghana,” Ms. Manu said. “We have a number of programs and initiatives in place to help you develop your skills, start your own businesses, and create jobs.”
The Africa Youth Day is celebrated annually on November 1 to commemorate the adoption of the African Youth Charter by the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Banjul, The Gambia, in 2006.
The day is also used to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the youth of Africa and to mobilize support for programs and initiatives that promote their development.
