Kofi Ahovi

  Government has officially launched the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion (GWYESCO) Programme, a major initiative expected to create more than 30,000 jobs and economic opportunities for women and young people across the country. The programme is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), with the Ministry of Finance serving as the executing agency and the Social Investment Fund (SIF) acting as the implementing agency. The launch brought together key stakeholders, including Deputy Minister for Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem, AfDB Country Director Halimah Hashi, and Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund, Abass Nurudeen. The initiative is aimed at addressing youth unemployment, promoting women’s economic empowerment and strengthening social cohesion through sustainable livelihood opportunities, particularly in vulnerable and underserved communities. Delivering his address at the launch, Nurudeen said the programme is built on the belief that empowe...

  A major policy dialogue at the African Development Bank Group headquarters in Abidjan has spotlighted a critical paradox in Africa’s development financing—abundant capital exists, yet access remains a major barrier, particularly for young entrepreneurs. Chief Siita Sofo Hissan, President of the AfCFTA Young Entrepreneurs Federation, represented over 500 million African youth at discussions on the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD), urging a shift from policy rhetoric to practical financing solutions. According to insights shared at the forum, Africa holds nearly $4 trillion in domestic savings, with only about 10 percent required to bridge the continent’s development financing gap. However, stakeholders stressed that the core issue is not the availability of capital, but the inability of businesses—especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—to access it. AfYEF described the estimated $330 billion SME financing gap as a “blockage,” arguing that capital ...

 The MTN Ghana Foundation has committed GHS1.2 million to support smallholder women farmers and unemployed youth through a modern farming initiative aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and skills development. As part of activities to commemorate the 2026 International Women’s Day under the theme “Give to Gain,” the Foundation pledged to establish a model farm at Pantang Hospital in the La Nkwantanang Municipality. The project is designed to equip an initial group of 60 smallholder women farmers with advanced agricultural techniques to improve both yield and efficiency. The model farm initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the La Nkwantanang Municipal Agriculture Department and Defarmercist. Together, these partners provide specialized expertise in agronomic support and capacity building to empower women farmers across the municipality. The initiative also forms part of the Foundation’s broader efforts to celebrate and support women in agriculture, recognizin...

 Young people in Ghana today are caught between an incredible world of opportunity and significant uncertainty. The young people everywhere, from the bustling streets of Accra to the classrooms of Cape Coast, from the lively marketplaces of Kumasi to the mining communities of Tarkwa, are full of aspirations for prosperity, security, and financial autonomy. Still, many people wonder how to ensure a brighter future in a world that is changing so quickly. The concept of investing – making your money work for you – is not new to us. Ghanaians already practised their own form of investment through family and community-based networks even before official banks and online investment platforms emerged. Many young people used to take part in “susu” groups, a long-standing savings custom in which people made modest daily or weekly contributions to a communal pot that was overseen by a reliable collector. Each member received their lump sum at the end of the cycle. It was an investment driven...

  A total of 72 young indigenes of Ahafo have graduated under Newmont Africa’s Construction Worker Training Programme (CWT) held at Terchire, Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region. The three months artisanal training programme organised by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) under Newmont Africa trained the beneficiaries in welding, fabrication, scaffolding, steel bending, carpentry, masonry, equipment, and crane operations. The beneficiaries, comprising males and females, were drawn from the 10 host communities comprising Kenyasi Number One, Kenyasi Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamahinso hosting the NGGL Ahafo South Mine in the Asutifi North District and Susuanso, Yamfo, Afrisipakrom, Terchire and Adrobaa in the Tano North Municipality hosting the company’s Ahafo North Project.  Additionally, 96 artisans would also be trained in batches of 24 each with 48 starting their training in carpentry and masonry by the end of March 2023 whereas preparations were underway for the equ...

 MTN Ghana has held a digital sod cutting event to announce the construction of the Ghana ICT Hub project. The initiative falls in line with MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy which is focused on leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress and its commitment towards supporting the Digital Ghana Agenda. This is aimed at creating jobs for the youth. The Ghana ICT Hub is a physical Infrastructure designed to provide 4,000 square meters of space with ancillary facilities and unique features. It will be the first of its kind in the West Africa sub region with the aim of training over 200,000 people with ICT skills and generate over 100,000 jobs during the first three years post-completion. Additionally, it will provide office spaces and meeting venues for over 100 tech start-ups and tech companies all in a bid to serve as a catalyst for Ghana’s digitalization agenda. The project is scheduled to be completed in approximately 18 months from when construction begins. The Ghana ICT Hub is par...

Bechem United President, Kingsley Owusu Achau, says a total ban on betting on the Ghana Premier League (GPL) is the only means to eradicate match-fixing in the top flight. Achau insisted that if the Ghana Football Association (GFA) was serious about stamping out match manipulations in the domestic league, then it should consider making it illegal to use its product for betting. According to him, manipulation of the outcome of games still persists in Ghana football and the only way to eliminate it is to follow the example of muslim countries by imposing a ban on the use of the local league by the betting companies for their activities. We have not been able to stamp it out so I made a proposal that the FA could ban it so that no one can use our product as it is done in some muslim nations such as The Sudan and some other places where you cannot use their league for betting,” he added. Almost all muslim majority countries ban betting on religious grounds. The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait...

  The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of interoperable platform, Korba, Nelson Korshi Da Seglah, has advised the youth against making commitments solely based on financial benefits. According to Da Seglah inasmuch as money is important, it should not be the priority of any youth chasing a dream. He advised the youth to focus on personal development and to use every available opportunity presented to them as preparation for achieving set dreams and targets. I would say that in as much as money is important, it should not be everything in the pursuit of your dreams. In the early days it should be about developing, training and preparing yourself to achieve your dreams,” Nelson Korshi Da Seglah said in an interview with Y107.9FM’s Rev Erskine, host of the ‘Myd Morning Radio’ show on the Y Leaderboard Series. According to him, some youth turn down good opportunities if the financial benefits are not attractive. But I learnt that no experience is bad experience, so everything adds up as t...

The Secretary General of the African Free Continental Trade Area (AfCFTA) , H.E. Wamkele Mene, will be holding a historic Conference in Tanzania to demonstrate their commitment to the inclusion of Women and Youth in the AfCFTA. Gracing this all-important event is H.E. Samia Suluhu Hasan, the president of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E Jewel Taylor, Vice President of Liberia, Prof. Benedict Okey Oramah, president and chairman of Afreximbank, Dr. Adesina Akinwumi, President, African Development Bank,  H.E. Monique Nsanabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson, African Union alongside other dignitaries from different sectors. The conference which takes place from 12 th -14 th September 2022, in Dar es Salaam at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center, United Republic of Tanzania, is held under the theme “Women and Youth: The Engine of AfCFTA Trade in Africa”, which will provide a platform for women and youth in trade, policymakers, development partners, financiers, and other key...

The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) as part of its objective to increase awareness and deepen financial literacy in the country, has partnered with the Young Investors Network (YIN) and other industry players to launch a bouquet of investment education programmes for the youth. This is aimed at promoting interest in savings and investment amongst the youth, thus boosting financial literacy. The programmes include an Investment Training Tour to selected Universities aimed at creating awareness about the Capital Market and also giving career guidance to students; a Stock Pitch Competition in which tertiary students are to recommend a listed company and give reasons why it is a viable investment option; and a Capital Market Quiz, which is an initiative to challenge senior high school students to increase their knowledge of savings and investment, activities on the capital market and entrepreneurship. Being financially literate Speaking at the launch, the Director of the Financial Sector Divisi...

  THE Managing Director of the Consolidated Bank of Ghana (CBG), Daniel Addo, has advised the youth to venture into entrepreneurship to create wealth for themselves and others. He said while the government was creating the environment for businesses to grow, it was unable to absorb the entire working age/group, thus the need for the youth to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. He said that at a special mentorship programme dubbed ‘Spotlight Series’ which was put together by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA). The event was organised by the Faculty of Accounting and Finance (FAF), in collaboration with the UPSA Global Alumni Association, on May 26, 2022. It was on the theme “Looking Forward Backwards; Leading a Volatile Uncertain Complex and Ambiguous World.” He said as a young generation, they must work to turn things around in the country and subsequently, Africa. Nothing in this world happens in a vacuum. Most of the successful companies you see today started fr...

  The John A. Kufuor Foundation (JAK Foundation) has pledged its commitment to continue to promote youth development in the country. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Foundation, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, who made the remarks said the Foundation does not only see young people as future leaders but as people who should be prepared so that when they assume leadership in future, they can work and do better things. For him, the Foundation has development as one of its three key focal areas, with the other two areas being leadership and governance. Prof. Agyeman-Duah who was speaking at the launch of the Foundation’s maiden Youth in Agribusiness Festival in Accra on Thursday, March 31, 2022, said the Foundation over the years had been promoting agriculture through advocacy and at times through direct supports. The festival, which will be celebrated on the theme: “Youth in Agribusiness in Ghana: the story so far and the way forward” in July, 2022 at the Jubilee Park and the ...

 The Ministries of Sanitation and Water Resources, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Local Government and Education have been urged to sensitise the youth in the management of plastics and waste in general. Making the call during a facility tour of some Zoomlion Ghana Limited’s plastics production plants (PPP) in Accra on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, said the central government was aiming for a secular economy. By becoming a secular economy, he noted that Ghana would be able to recycle aluminum cans, e-waste, plastics among others and then also turn them into other useful items. Some we can turn them into energy among others,” he added. Dr Afriyie indicated that the model currently being used for plastics was based on economic incentives, which is “when you bring (plastics), they weigh them and they pay you.” …and that is why we have realised that the PET bottles and the sachet water and then the und...

  Fairtrade Africa Programme Manager Chris Oluoch and Head of Region for West Africa, Edward Akapire, paid a field visit to CAPRESSA, a Fairtrade certified producer organisation in Agbengourou Cote d’Ivoire, together with Fairtrade Africa staff, Anne Marie Yao Dje, Sonndia Polneau, and Caroline Sang. Tizie, a representative from the Youth Employment Agency, and Camara Moussa, representative of CEESAP was also present. CAPRESSA cooperative one of the 4 cooperatives on the Transform Project which is a capacity building and income diversification project for women and youth in Ben & Jerry cooperatives. The programme is being implemented by CEESAP. Under the programme, the community received a drilling pump with a capacity of 30 m 3 /h, for potable water for cassava processing and also for household use. Before the construction of the borehole, the women group had started cassava processing but had to stop due to shortage of potable water. Under the project also, the women have set...