George Opare Addo urges youth to prioritise character alongside skills

The Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has stressed the need for young people to develop strong character alongside skills and knowledge, saying good values are essential to national development.

He said efforts to equip the youth with skills, technology and opportunities would have limited impact if not matched with discipline, integrity and a strong sense of responsibility.

“As we empower the youth with skills, modern technology and available opportunities, we must also build young people of good character as well. That is what will make the needed difference,” he said.

Mr Opare Addo made the remarks at the opening of the National Youth Conference at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.

The conference, held under the theme, “Building values, inspiring patriotism: Empowering the youth in the digital age,” forms part of activities marking the 2026 National Youth Month Celebration.

The celebration focuses on youth empowerment, leadership, volunteerism, civic responsibility, innovation and national development.

Mr Opare Addo noted that Ghana could not achieve sustainable development without strong moral values among its young population, emphasising the importance of integrity, discipline, honesty and responsibility.

He said talent alone was not enough to guarantee success, stressing that an individual could be highly gifted in areas such as music, football or other professions but still fail because of a lack of discipline.

“Talent alone is not enough to carry far,” he said, adding that trustworthiness and discipline were equally important in determining how far an individual could go.

“You may be brilliant, but if you cannot be trusted, people will hesitate to give you any opportunity or responsibility. Likewise, you may have a great business idea, but if you lack discipline, that idea may never become a successful enterprise,” he said.

The Minister therefore urged young people to give equal attention to character development as they acquire professional skills and knowledge.

“You must concentrate on both to be able to excel in your respective fields,” he advised.

Youth and the Digital Age

Mr Opare Addo also encouraged young people to take advantage of opportunities created by the digital economy, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.

He urged the youth to use technology productively to create employment and generate income rather than engage in unproductive activities online.

“Do not use your phones to engage in unproductive activities in today's era of technological advancement. Rather, you can use the data to generate revenue and create employment for yourself,” he stated.

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Osman Ayariga, said digital technology had transformed the way people worked, communicated and participated in public life.

He said smartphones and other digital tools had given young people unprecedented opportunities to access knowledge, create content, mobilise communities and reach audiences beyond their immediate environments.

“A young person with a smartphone can now access knowledge, create content, mobilise people and reach audiences far beyond their community. This is the power of technology, and we must know how to use it,” he said.

Mr Ayariga cautioned young people against using their devices merely to consume content about other people’s achievements and encouraged them to use technology to create solutions and contribute to national development.

He urged them not to wait passively for opportunities but to prepare themselves to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

Values Must Match Digital Skills

The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Christian Agyare, also called on the youth to pay equal attention to values and morals as they develop digital, entrepreneurial and professional skills.

He said there was nothing wrong with aspiring to wealth and success but stressed that such achievements should be built on hard work, diligence, honesty, creativity and perseverance.

“There is nothing wrong with aspiring to wealth and success, but let your success be built on hard work, diligence, honesty, creativity and perseverance,” he stated.