Economic advisor to UNDP-Ghana pays working visit to the National Youth Authority

The new Economic Advisor to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Ghana, Mr. Udo Etukudo, today Thursday, 19th August 2021, paid a working visit to the Head Office of the National Youth Authority at Kaneshie in Accra.

Receiving him, on behalf of the Authority, Ag. C.E.O Mr. Nelson Owusu Ansah said they were very happy for the visit and said it has been a longstanding tradition of the Authority to operate an open-door policy. He said key amongst issues confronting Ghanaian youth is unemployment, which is widely perceived as a security concern, and now, better, than ever, is the time to talk about it. “I am of the firm believe that when it comes to youth unemployment, rhetoric must give way to practical action. There must be concrete policies backed by dramatic interventions and actions to turn the tide around” Mr. Owusu Ansah opined.

On some programmes and activities, the Authority is embarking on, Mr. Owusu Ansah mentioned the upcoming 2021 Youth Connekt Africa Summit, which is scheduled to come off in Ghana in October and said it is his expectation that the UNDP will play an active role to strengthen partnerships to obtain the necessary impact that would transform the lives of young people.

He touched on the COVID-19 tracker, which the Authority in partnership with the Institute of Statistical Social Economic Research (ISSER) based at the University of Ghana developed to track the impact of the pandemic particularly on the lives of people and sought the support of the UNDP to fast track its implementation.

Mr. Owusu Ansah further spoke about the Authority’s flagship National Youth Volunteer Programme (NYVP) which is to be launched later this year, and said that would go a long way at training the youth whilst offering them the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the development of their communities.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s IYD, Mr. Owusu Ansah said it is the Authority’s goal to develop a project on the annual themes for the commemoration and as the focus for this year revolved around food systems, the Authority launched its the Youth Agric - Support Enterprise Project, which is primarily geared at positioning agric-business as a viable commercial option. 

He then spoke on the draft National Youth Policy which is awaiting cabinet approval and the development of the Authority’s 5-year Strategic plan which will further strengthen the Authority to continue to provide responsive interventions to cater to the needs of the youth.

Mr. Udo, for his part was delighted to be at the office and said he is quite familiar with the aspirations of the government of Ghana and is also very encouraged with what the UNDP office has done over the period especially in the area of youth development in Ghana and hoped to scale it up during his tenure to ensure a strengthened and mutually rewarding partnership between Ghana and the UNDP.

Present at the meeting were, Mrs. Akosua Manu, Deputy CEO of the Authority, Mrs. Slyvia Senu, Youth Coordinator at UNDP, Mrs. Evelyn Lotsu Director of Programmes, at NYA and Mr. Edwin Amponsah, Head of Public Relations at NYA.