International Youth Day: NDC will continue to prioritise investment in Ghanaian youth – Asiedu Nketiah
The National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has assured that investment in the youth will remain a priority for the party.
He cited data from the Ghana Statistical Service indicating that young people aged 15 to 35 constitute 36.9 per cent of Ghana’s population.
In a social media post on Wednesday, August 12, International Youth Day, Asiedu Nketiah said youth unemployment currently stands at 21.9 per cent, compared to the national unemployment rate of 12.8 per cent.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah also noted that nearly two million young people are neither in education, employment nor training.
“Those numbers describe capacity sitting idle, not people unwilling to work,” he said.
He said the government’s investment in the youth should therefore be viewed as an investment in Ghana’s economic future rather than social spending.
He cited the No Fees Stress Policy, National Apprenticeship Programme and One Million Coders programme as some of the initiatives being implemented to equip young people with education, vocational and digital skills.
The NDC Chairman also mentioned the expansion of legal education as part of measures aimed at creating more opportunities for the youth.
According to him, the government is seeking to provide young people with skills that match market demand, startup capital and an environment that enables the private sector to create jobs.
“Investment in young people will continue to be a priority for the NDC,” Mr Asiedu Nketiah stated.