Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has announced plans to revamp the Youth and Sports Ministry to better cater to the needs of Ghana’s youth.
During the unveiling of the NDC’s National Youth Wing Secretariat and Campaign on Friday, March 29, 2024, Mahama highlighted the necessity for a more holistic approach to youth development.
The restructured ministry will prioritize youth involvement in all sectors of the economy and strive to integrate youth interests across various industries.
He said, “We are going to separate Youth and Sports because it’s a youth and sports ministry but over the years, what we do is that the concentration is on sports and even on sports, the concentration is on Black Stars at the expense of any other sports. So I’m going to set up a service for Youth development. It will focus primarily on Youth status in all sectors of the economy.”
This initiative aims to address the current focus on sports, particularly football, to the neglect of other sports and youth development opportunities.
Mahama envisions the revamped ministry to include a youth development service that will generate employment for young people and support his 24-hour economy agenda.
“It will focus on mainstreaming youth interest in all sectors of the economy. And most of all, we will concentrate on bringing on strategies that will create jobs for young people and this Ministry will support the 24-hour economy.”
The 24-hour economy initiative seeks to boost economic growth and create jobs around the clock, underscoring the significance of youth engagement and empowerment in Ghana’s progress.