Accra, July 11, 2025 — Ghana’s 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 “Empowering the Youth to Create Quality Families in an Inclusive Society.”
Delivering the keynote address, Hon. Gomashie described Ghana’s youth as the nation’s greatest asset and urged policy makers, educators, and communities to move beyond rhetoric and create structural systems that support young people. “We must create systems that enable young people to take charge of their lives,” she declared.
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. “I’ve worked with my hands and my mind—and I’m proud of it,” she said.
Hon. Gomashie also lauded President John Dramani Mahama’s 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. “Let us learn to clap for one another. Let us honor our anthem and national symbols,” she added.
In a solidarity message, Dr. Emily Nafambo, Deputy Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), echoed the Minister’s appeal. She noted that more than a third of Ghana’s population falls between ages 15 and 35, yet high youth unemployment and teenage pregnancy threaten their potential. “Ghana’s greatest natural resource may not be gold or cocoa – it is the potential of its young people,” she stated.
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. “Teenage pregnancy disrupts education and entrenches poverty. We must treat it as a development emergency,” she urged.
Mrs. Nyanor announced the NPC’s 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. “Empowering the youth is not an act of charity – it is a matter of national survival,” she emphasized.
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.
Source: PR Unit- MoTCCA
