Ministry of Youth and Sports

The Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah has sworn in Mr. Henry Nana Boakye as a member of the Governing Board of the National Youth Authority (NYA).

This follows the resignation of Mr. Arnold Boateng who also served as a member of the Board.

Mr. Henry Nana Boakye in his acceptance remarks thanked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the confidence reposed in him to serve on the Board.

He assured that, he will bring on board his knowledge and expertise to help develop the youth as well as work towards resolving their concerns.

He subsequently commended Hon. Asiamah for the ongoing construction works of ten (10) multipurpose Youth and Sports Centres in the country.

The Youth and Sports Minister, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah on behalf of the Ministry congratulated him and reiterated Government’s mandate in the development of the youth in the country.

He charged him to be committed and dedicated while working towards the effectiveness, efficiency and value for money as part of the mandate of the Board.

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, has called on the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah to inform him of her arrival in the country to participate in the ongoing Youth Senior Officials Meeting(Africa Region) which started on Tuesday, 29th October and will end on Thursday, 31st October, 2019 in Accra.

Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland expressed her gratitude to Government for accepting to host the meeting and ensuring its fruition and added, their interest in youth affairs is impeccable.

She noted that, this is the first meeting after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Uganda 2017.

She stressed on the need to fill the gap between university studies and work adding that, the Innovation hub is very important and competitive.

The Secretary General of the Commonwealth disclosed that there has been deliberations to include Sports in the activities of the Commonwealth, stating that Sports is a very creative and lucrative industry which will help engage young people.

She subsequently assured the participants of the Commonwealths’ unwavering support for the Ministry in the development of youth in the country.

Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah on behalf of Government welcomed the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland to Ghana for the Youth Senior Officials Meeting (Africa Region).

He noted that the meeting is very historic and Ghana is honored to host it adding that, the Government has taken the activities and interests of the Youth very seriously by implementing programs through the National Youth Authority (NYA) to engage the Youth productively while curbing the issue of unemployment, which is a major threat to most countries.

The Youth and Sports Minister stressed on the need for the future of the youth to be secured as well as bridge the gap between young people in academia and the industry.

The Akufo-Addo led administration saw the importance in skills acquisition thus empowering the Council for Technical and Vocational Educational Training (COTVET) to work effectively through the Ministry of Education, stressing on the Youth Development Index.

Hon. Asiamah also noted that sports is a significant tool for peace building, job creation and crime prevention; the reason behind Governments’ decision to construct ten (10) Multipurpose Youth and Sports Centers Excellence to engage young people in the country. Government will also cut sod for the other six(6) regions soon.

The Minister noted that Government is focused on its vision and mandate to see Ghana get better in all spheres adding that, funding has always been a problem, hence, steps are been taken to resolve the issue.

Present at the meeting were the Chief Director, Mr. Frank Quist, CEO of NYA, Mr. Sylvester Matthew Tetteh,
Pamella McLaren, Acting Director, Economic Youth Social Development Division
Senyo Agbohlah, Deputy Head, Office of the Secretary-General,
Layne Robinson Head, Social Policy Section and
Temi Kalijaye, Communications Officer of Commonwealth.

The President of the Pan African Youth Union (PYU), Mr. Aliou Oumarou has called on Hon. Curtis Perry Okudzeto to express their gratitude to government for the enormous support of the Youth Union over the years.

The Pan African Youth Union was established in 1962 based on a decision by the Heads of States in Africa to unite all youth groups on the continent.

Mr. Oumarou seized the opportunity to call for support from the government of Ghana towards their upcoming Reform and Executive Committee Meetings scheduled from 14th to 16th November, 2019.

The President of the Youth Union commended Deputy Secretary General of the Union, Mr. Ahmed Bening, a Ghanaian, for his dedication, loyalty and cooperation in the discharge of his duties.

Hon. Curtis Perry Okudzeto on behalf the Sector Minister commended the delegation for the strides they have made on the youth front on the continent through various initiatives and programmes.

He stated that the youth population in Africa is very high, thus the need to pay attention to their needs and fashion out policies towards their empowerment and reiterated government’s support in the development of youth in the country.

Hon. Okudzeto pledged government’s commitment towards the success of the meeting.

He subsequently commended Mr. Ahmed Bening for making Ghana proud and pledged Government’s support in the upcoming PYU elections.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah has interacted with the Board and Management of the National Youth Authority on the way forward for the Authority.

The meeting which was attended by the newly appointed AG. Chief Executive Officer and his two deputies was held in a conducive and cordial atmosphere.

He called for teamwork between the Ministry and the Agency and also between the Board and the Management.

He stated that only teamwork, dedication and commitment on the part of all the actors would ensure the full realization of the mission, vision and objectives of the Authority.

He also assured the gathering that his Ministry would continue to relate to the NYA for the benefits of the youth in the country. He disclosed that he would not interfere in the work of the Board and the Management but he would intervene when the need arose.

The Acting Board Chair Hon. Mustapha Yusif assured the Minister that the Board would not do anything to undermine the authority of the Minister. He also called for collaboration between the Ministry and the Board especially in the area of effective communication.

The AG. CEO, Mr. Sylvester Mathew Tetteh thanked the Minister for the meeting and promised to abide by the Act establishing the National Youth Authority. He also assured the Minister that he and his colleagues would work hard with the Management and staff to meet the target set out.

Opportunity was offered to the gathering where they expressed their appreciation for the meeting and promised to implement the ideas shared.

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.