The Startimes Group, a Chinese Broadcasting company has announced a five (5)-day training and coaching program for Ghanaian teenagers between the ages of 15 to 17.

The Chinese outfit will bring in four (4) coaches from the German Bundesliga as well as engage eight local coaches to train up to one-hundred young ones.

The Country Director for the Startimes Group, Mr. Kaixuan Wang disclosed this when he called on the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Curtis Perry Okudzeto to brief him on the training program which will be organized by the company for the teenagers.

The Company will among other things provide free accommodation, feeding and training grounds for the one-week training program.

Hon. Curtis Perry Okudzeto expressed gratitude on behalf of the sector Ministry to the company for their continuous support to develop sports in the country.

He noted that the Ministry through the GFA Normalization Committee will facilitate the program to ensure its fruition.

Hon. Okudzeto again stated that the training program will go a long way to unearth young talents in the country as well as strengthen the relationship between government and the company.

The 3-day forum was organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, African Union Commission and the United Nations Commission for Africa (UNECA).

The Conference dubbed “Harnessing the Benefits of African Continental Free Trade Area for a Ghana Beyond Aid” would basically serve as a foundation for unlocking Africa’s enormous economic potential as well as increasing the intra-African trade.

The Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah addressing the participants said his presentation was geared towards boosting employment opportunities for the outh in support of the AfCFTA, disclosing that initiatives rolled out by his outfit will enhance the participation of the youth in regional and cross border trade.

The sector Minister noted that the Ministry has established a Youth in Sports Programme under the Community Improvement Module of the Youth Employment Agency, where 5,000 outh are being trained and deployed in the areas of Pitch Management, Sports Coaching, Janitorial Services in sports facilities and Fitness and Wellness Instructors.

Hon. Asiamah further added that the National Youth Authority, one of the Ministry‘s agencies has signed an agreement with Ecobank Ghana to recruit 3,000 outh who have been trained in digital marketing and entrepreneurship.

He bemoaned the lack of job opportunities and avenues for the youth to channel their abundant energies and harness their creative abilities into productive ventures was a massive threat to national security and democracy.

Hon. Asiamah explained that with the African Continental Free Trade Area looking feasible, the opportunity is created for the youth to be gainfully employed, however, he advised that the forum formulates deliberate policies that favours their inclusion and development as well as build their capacities to increase their competitiveness in the AfCFTA.

He noted that for the youth to benefit from the African Free Trade Area deal, access to education is another significant factor including the training on how to take advantage of the opportunities on offer.

The National Youth Authority (NYA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) in conjunction with the UNFPA joined the global community to celebrate the International Youth Day at Akuapem-Mampong.

The program is dedicated to honor the importance of the Youth in national development and peace building with this year’s theme dubbed “the role of the Youth in contributing to quality education in Ghana.“

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia addressing the gathering stated that the platform which seeks to dialogue on achieving quality education in Ghana rightly fits into government’s efforts’ at achieving global development agenda which intends to make education more accessible to all Ghanaian Youth irrespective of their socio-economic condition.

Dr. Bawumia noted that government sees the program as a holistic and co-ordinative approach towards bridging the existing gap in the education system ensuring equitable quality education and promoting life long opportunities for all as stated in the SDGs.

According to him human capital is a massive factor that reinforces technological change in any economy adding that the President Nana Addo is focused on the educational sector as the way of developing and building the future of the country.

Dr. Bawumia said his government under the visionary leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo has demonstrated through the introduction and implementation of innovative policies steered at transforming the education system adding that government’s investment in building the educational sector will bear great fruits in the future.

The Vice President said the Nana-Addo led administration has embarked on a digitization program which is being driven by the Youth towards changing the economy.

He advised Young people to vanquish the thoughts of impossibilities and underestimation of their own abilities as government is committed to providing the necessary infrastructures.

The Vice President Bawumia commended the National Youth Authority for its immense contributions in the pursuit of the mandates and aspirations of the government in developing the Youth as it pursues the vision of “Ghana Beyond Aid”.

The Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah called on the National Youth Authority (NYA) to reflect over this year’s theme and adopt an organizational philosophy and operational methodology that radiates the interests, passions, beliefs, values and life skills that young people need to be successful in life.

Hon. Asiamah announced that work is at the stage of completion at the various Youth and Sports Centers of Excellence in ten regions across the country adding that project will help unearth and develop the youth.

The UNFPA representative reiterated the importance of investing in human capital and stressed on the need to engage young people at any given opportunity to enable them participate in the development of their countries.

The 3rd ECOWAS forum of the National Volunteer Agencies in West Africa dubbed “Volunteerism for peace and security” has been officially opened by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah. The forum seeks to harness the talents and energies of young leaders of various professional backgrounds and commitments for socio-economic development.

Addressing the Forum, Hon. Asiamah observed that the youth are rarely seen as stakeholders in promoting peace in their communities adding that ECOWAS is on the right track to changing this narrative owing to the tenacity of purpose of the National Volunteer Agencies.

The Sports Minister further noted that in Ghana, young people are providing inputs to government decisions that foster a more youth-friendly environment to promote entrepreneurship and reduce the incidence of youth unemployment, exploitation of the youth through human trafficking and urban-rural migration.

To this end, the Minister said an effective monitoring mechanism should be instituted to maximize the impact of the volunteer program.

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA) Mr. Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri expressed his appreciation to ECOWAS for the collaboration, adding, “this is a clear indication of the commitment of member states to the Volunteers’ Programme” .

Mr Asigri was hopeful that the outcome of the forum as espoused in the theme, “volunteerism for peace and security” will contribute immensely to enriching a fit for purpose terms of reference for the functioning of a permanent secretariat of the Forum so that key actions could be identified and planned for the execution by the Member States.

Dr. Siga Fatima Jagne, Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, Chair, ECOWAS Volunteers Programme Regional Coordination Council stated that the ECOWAS Volunteer Program (EVP) since its inception in 2004, sort to create a pool of youthful exuberance united in their belief that volunteer engagement can be used as a tool for the promotion of development, peace building, reconciliation and national rehabilitation in post conflict countries through mobilization.

She noted that the program falls within the framework of the region’s new vision of taking regional governance to the grassroots through its ECOWAS of the people’s initiative Vision 2010.

The Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah has opened the Validation Meeting of the Africa Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (APAYE) in Accra. The APAYE is a five-year continental framework and plan of action for implementing the African Youth Charter, the African Union (AU) decision on harnessing the demographic dividend through investment in youth, and the targets on youth articulated in the Agenda 2063 Ten Year Implementation Plan.

The Youth and Sports Minister, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah in his address stated that the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has taken pragmatic steps aimed at creating a society of opportunities especially for the Ghanaian youth that will empower them to confront the challenges of the globally competitive world as well as realizing the aspirations of AU’s Agenda 2063 and the SDGs.

Hon. Asiamah noted that the discourse will ensure concrete steps are taken to further strengthen our understanding and expand the frontiers of Africa’s Youth Development Agenda, adding that the outcome of the meeting will guide policymakers with the African Union Member States in designing and implementing youth policies and programs at regional, national and continental levels.

The Head of Youth Division at the African Union, Ms. Prudence Ngwenya commended Government for their keen interest in youth related activities and welcoming this partnership. She also noted that the APAYE served as the AU’s overarching programmatic document which will guide and influence the efforts and contributions of key partners and stakeholders engaged in youth empowerment on the continent, adding that the APAYE is intended to enable actions and serve as a practical guide and framework for accountability to key stakeholders.

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr. Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri commended the AU for the collaboration and stressed on the relevance of the Africa Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (APAYE) which will replace the AU Decade Plan of Action for the Youth (2009 to 2018), as this is critical because Member States of the African Union are taking concrete steps towards achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063.

He further added that the Authority is currently reviewing the National Youth Policy to make it responsive to contemporary demands and needs of the youth.

The CEO of the NYA was optimistic that the three-day validation workshop will contribute immensely to enriching a fit for purpose Africa Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment that will shape the future for the youth in the continent.