Paint, power, and possibility: Ashanti Regional Minister breaks myth of unready youth
Some weeks ago, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, made a bold and refreshing decision in Kumasi.
Instead of awarding the painting of murals at the Asokwa Interchange to a private creative firm through the usual contract route, he invited Senior High School Visual Arts students to take the lead.
The results have been nothing short of inspiring.
The walls now glow with vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and stories that speak directly to the soul of the city.
More importantly, the young artists demonstrated that when the talent of young people is trusted, and they are given genuine opportunities to lead and create, they do not merely participate, they excel.
Challenging, underestimation of youth
This single act of faith has sparked widespread praise, and rightly so.
Too often, society underestimates the capacity of its youth, confining them to the margins of decision-making and innovation.
We assume they lack the skill, or the maturity to deliver.
Yet the paintings of the students at the Asokwa Interchange proved the opposite.
Given responsibility, they delivered excellence.
They represented their schools with pride, worked collaboratively, and produced public art that expressed confidence, identity, and civic pride.
Their joy was visible, reflective of stakeholders taking ownership of their community.
When Opportunity Meets Potential I have spent my career watching young Ghanaians rise when the door is opened even slightly.
Whether in community or national projects, the pattern is always the same: provide the platform, remove unnecessary gatekeepers, and watch them flourish.
Our youth are not waiting for the future; they are ready to shape it today.
They bring fresh perspectives, digital fluency, and an urgency that older generations sometimes lose. What they often lack is not ability, but opportunity.
Youth
It is worth remembering that Dr. Frank Amoakohene himself is a youth (35 years old).
Many doubted him because of his youthfulness, yet he proved them wrong and rose to become Ashanti Regional Minister.
In his current position, he has done something deeply respectable: he used his position to help the youth in the creative space to promote national heritage.
He understands that young people can only grow when they are given the chance to apply what they learn.
Yet, too often, the opposite happens.
Youth as Ghana’s greatest resource
Underestimating them is not only unfair; it is a national waste.
Ghana’s greatest resource is not gold or cocoa or oil; it is the creative energy of its young population.
Every time we hand over a project to our youth, we invest in today’s and tomorrow’s leaders.
We teach them that their ideas matter, that their hands can build, and that their generation is trusted.
The Asokwa murals are more than decoration; they are living proof that when young people are allowed to lead, it creates a ripple effect, boosting self-esteem, inspiring peers, and gradually reshaping societal perceptions of what young people can achieve.
Of course, we must be realistic.
Sometimes the youth may fail or not perform as well as expected.
But that should not be their death knell.
An expert did not become one overnight.
Mistakes are a normal part of growth.
What matters is that we continue to offer trust and opportunities, not that every attempt is flawless from the start.
Call to make this the norm
Let this initiative become the new standard, not the exception.
From Accra to Goaso, from Tegbi-Kpota to Bolgatanga, let us deliberately create spaces where students, apprentices, and young professionals take the wheel.
Our ministries, municipalities, and private sector leaders must follow the Ashanti Regional Minister’s example.
The youth are not the leaders of tomorrow.
Given the chance, they are the leaders of today.
And they will not disappoint us.
They never do when we believe in them.
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