Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE), Sherif Ghali, has urged the government to give equal priority to youth development initiatives.

He said youth unemployment remains alarmingly high and called for greater focus on the Adwumawura programme.

Speaking to the media at the Silver Star Stanbic Incubator, Mr Ghali explained that the GCYE had engaged young entrepreneurs and other youth in a dialogue to better understand their challenges with the Adwumawura programme introduced by government.

He said the findings would be presented to policymakers to ensure the programme meets the needs of young people.

He urged government to treat youth development with the same urgency as the Big Push agenda, warning that neglecting the issue could have dire consequences.

"we don’t need to say the nation is sitting on a ticking time bomb, because when it explodes, it will not be a good one,” he cautioned.

Mr Ghali also criticised the withdrawal of funding from the National Youth Authority (NYA), which previously received allocations from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).

He argued that the NYA plays a crucial role in driving youth development and should not be sidelined.

He emphasised that, with the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Youth, government must act swiftly to amplify youth development efforts and support the growth of young entrepreneurs.

“For the first time, we are having a youth ministry therefore, the ministry must champion youth development and empower young entrepreneurs," he added.

Source: Collins Kofi Asante