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SONA: Prez Mahama has restored hope for the youth - Minister

The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, says President John Dramani Mahama’s State of the Nation Address has restored hope for Ghanaians, especially the youth.

Date Created : 2/28/2025 : Story Author : Emmanuel Frimpong/Ghanadistricts.com

President Mahama, in his first state of the nation address on floor of Parliament, on Thursday, February 27, 2025, announced the government’s plan to implement an AgriNext Programme to facilitate access to land banks by young farmers, connect graduates with opportunities in the agricultural value chain, and promote greenhouse agriculture among the youth.

The initiative, he added, will benefit approximately 30,000 young people.

He added that his government will also launch our flagship National Apprenticeship Programme to equip ten thousand (10,000) young people in the informal sector with employable skills, including providing apprenticeship fees and start-up kits.

He further stated that the government’s ‘Adwumawura’ Programme will also help in creating, tracking, and mentoring businesses annually, with a special focus on young people.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ghanadistricts.com in Parliament yesterday, Mr. Puozuing indicated that the message had restored hope in the Ghanaian people, especially on how the President intends to transform the country through Agric businesses.

He lauded President Mahama’s attempt to make judicious use of the country’s resources by eschewing waste and ostentation but rather making the most of the little to empower the youth.

He again described the government’s decision to train at least one million youth in the coding system as another innovative way of providing sustainable jobs for the youth.

He was of the view that, the President’s commitment to rely on Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA) through modernized agriculture to enhance agribusiness, ensure food security, lower food inflation, boost exports, and create sustainable jobs was a clear indication of his desire to improve jobs especially among the youth.

The Minister was optimistic that through modernized ways of agriculture, his region can engage in season long farming through farmer services centres as well as irrigation projects.

“During the normal season we will take advantage of the farmer services centres to have machine-y and equipment and proper seedling to farm and also when it comes to the dry season the irrigation projects that will be set up will enable persons who will continuously farm to have the opportunity to farm”, he added.

He touched on plans to build industries that can turn raw agriculture produce into value added products which will help generate more income for the region and the country at large.

He urged the youth to take advantage of the new development in order to transform their livelihoods.