CSOs appeal to Youth Ministry to address unemployment situation
A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) into youth development in the Northern Region has appealed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to address the problem of growing youth unemployment which it says has become chronic in the country.
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It also urged the ministry to prioritise the compilation and harmonisation of data on young people, including their aspirations, needs and challenges.
According to the group, there was currently no adequate and readily available data on the youth of the country.
The group, which comprises 10 CSOs, made the call at a press conference in Tamale where it welcomed and congratulated the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Isaac Asiamah.
CSOs
The coalition works together to complement efforts by the government to create economic opportunities for the youth, broadening their social and political space and reducing youth vulnerability to exploitation and violence across the Northern Region of Ghana.
The CSOs are Youth Empowerment for Life (YEfL), the Centre for Active Learning and Development (CALID), the Youth Network for Sustainable Development (YNSD), Youth Alive and the Centre for Development and Policy Advocacy (CEDEPA).
The rest are Youth Opportunity Partnership Project (YOPP), the National Youth Authority (NYA), IBIS, Empowering and Transforming Communities (ETC) and NORSAAC.
Collaboration
The Spokesperson for the group, Mr Kamal Deen Habib, recommended to the Youth Ministry the need for strong and effective collaboration with other ministries and partners to reduce duplication of the efforts in youth development projects.
“We wish to express our firm belief in your ability to pursue programmes that will qualitatively transform the lives of young people in this country.
“Given your interest in youth and sports activities and many years of experience in the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports, we are hopeful that your tenure will work to address the problems of youth unemployment which, besides being chronic, remains the most visible setback to the realisation of young people’s dreams in the country,” he stated.
National Youth Authority
In a related development, the group has also congratulated the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri, on his appointment.
“As we congratulate you on your appointment, it is our hope that you continue the plans of your predecessors and also work to the benefit of the youth,” Mr Habib stated.
He further appealed to the CEO to set up more district offices to make the services of the authority accessible to the youth.