Stop Scrolling and Start Building, NYA CEO To the Youth

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr Osman Abdulai Ayariga, has challenged young Ghanaians to move beyond merely consuming digital content and use technology as a tool to create businesses, develop innovative solutions and contribute meaningfully to national development.

He said the digital age has opened unprecedented opportunities for the youth, but stressed that technology could only transform their lives and the country when it was matched with discipline, integrity, responsibility and a strong sense of patriotism.

“Don’t use your phone only to watch other people, use it to build. Don’t only scroll, create. Don’t only complain, contribute. Don’t only wait for opportunity prepare for it,” Mr Ayariga told participants.

He said the NYA would continue to work with government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, academia, the private sector and youth groups to expand opportunities for young people and provide them with platforms to participate actively in shaping the country’s future.

Mr Ayariga made the call at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, where the 2026 National Youth Conference was opened.

The conference, organised by the NYA in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, forms part of activities marking the 2026 National Youth Month celebration.

It is being held on the theme: “Rebuilding Values, Inspiring Patriotism: Empowering the Youth in the Digital Age.”

He urged participants to take the conference seriously by asking thought provoking questions, sharing their experiences and developing practical solutions to challenges confronting their communities.

He said the ultimate objective is to build a generation of young people who would not only demand opportunities from Ghana but would also be equipped and willing to contribute to the country’s development.

The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, Hon George Opare-Addo, said government is introducing and expanding a number of initiatives to create sustainable employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young Ghanaians.

He mentioned the expansion of the National Apprenticeship Programme, the Labour Exchange Programme, the Domestic Care Economy, the Graduates in Corporate Support (GRiCS) programme and enhanced support for young entrepreneurs as some of the initiatives.

Mr Opare-Addo said government is determined to ensure that skills training is directly connected to labour-market demands so that young people could translate their skills into sustainable livelihoods.

“You cannot tell a young person to acquire skills when there is no connection between those skills and the labour market,” he said.

The Minister said the National Apprenticeship Programme has been designed following consultations with labour unions and research into skills gaps within the economy.

He explained that the programme is being implemented in line with the economic strengths of different regions to ensure that beneficiaries can find employment within their own communities.

 

He said the programme adopted the master-apprentice system, under which young people are attached to experienced practitioners in their communities.

According to him, the arrangement would facilitate a smoother transition from apprenticeship into employment because the masters are established and trusted practitioners within the communities.

He also disclosed that the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) is creating new employment opportunities through the Labour Exchange Programme, which would facilitate the placement of skilled Ghanaian workers in countries experiencing labour shortages.

He further announced that the government would next year introduce the Domestic Care Economy under the YEA to provide additional skills and employment opportunities for young people.

Hon Opare Addo said government is also working to improve the transition from national service into permanent employment through the Graduates in Corporate Support (GRiCS) programme.

He said government is engaging private-sector organisations to absorb national service personnel after completing their mandatory service, with participating companies expected to retain at least 60 per cent of personnel assigned to them.

The Minister said the initiative has become necessary because many graduates complete national service only to remain unemployed for several years.

He said government would consequently reduce the number of national service personnel posted to already congested public institutions and channel more graduates into the private sector.

On entrepreneurship, Mr Opare-Addo said the Adwumawura programme would continue to support young people through training, incubation and funding to establish and grow their businesses.

He stressed that the programme places greater emphasis on training and business development rather than simply handing beneficiaries capital.

He said beneficiaries would also receive support to register their businesses properly, while the SEEK (Student Enterprise and Innovation Development) programme would support tertiary students with promising business ideas.

Mr Opare-Addo said the objective was to ensure that innovative ideas developed by students did not remain on paper but were transformed into viable businesses.

The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Christian Agyare, said the theme of the conference is timely, particularly at a period when artificial intelligence, social media, digital enterprise and borderless access to information were rapidly transforming society.

He said young people needs to acquire the skills required to take advantage of technology while maintaining values such as hard work, integrity, patriotism and service.

“Skills without integrity can be misused, and knowledge without character can become destructive,” Prof. Agyare cautioned.

He urged the youth to reject the growing “get-rich-quick” mentality and instead build their success on hard work, honesty, creativity, diligence and perseverance.

Prof. Agyare said patriotism should go beyond wearing national colours or celebrating national occasions, stressing that it also involved respecting public institutions and property, contributing to communities and using one's talents to solve Ghana’s problems.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Anwel Sadat Ahmed called for stronger collaboration among local authorities, traditional leaders, private businesses and youth organisations to create opportunities that would enable young people to thrive within their communities.

He stressed the importance of ensuring that youth empowerment programmes translated into tangible opportunities at the local level, particularly in skills development, entrepreneurship and employment.

He urged young people to take advantage of government and private-sector initiatives and position themselves to benefit from the opportunities available to them.

The Member of Parliament for Oforikrom Michael Kwasi Aidoo also urged young people to take responsibility for their personal development by acquiring relevant skills, embracing innovation and taking advantage of available opportunities.

The MP called for continued investment in youth development, saying empowering young people is essential to reducing unemployment and building a productive workforce capable of driving Ghana’s economic transformation.

The conference brought together government officials, traditional and religious leaders, academics, development partners, youth leaders and young people from across the country to deliberate on issues affecting the youth and explore practical pathways for their empowerment