Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment to prioritise impact tracking and evaluation to ensure its programmes deliver measurable benefits to young people across the country.
The Ministry is currently implementing several initiatives, including the Adwumawura and apprenticeship programmes, aimed at equipping the youth with employable skills and economic opportunities.
During a working visit to the Ministry, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang praised officials for their strong commitment to gender inclusion, noting that female participation has exceeded the minimum affirmative action threshold.
“The youth of Ghana are very innovative, and I am particularly impressed that you have gone beyond the 30 per cent affirmative action target to achieve 50 per cent representation. That is commendable, and I encourage you to sustain it,” she said.
She stressed that youth development is a cross-cutting issue that requires close collaboration among ministries and agencies.
“Youth issues span education, health, agriculture, industry, and security. There is hardly any sector untouched by youth development, and that is why inter-ministerial collaboration is critical to achieving national impact,” she noted.
The Vice President also drew attention to vulnerable and out-of-school youth, urging the Ministry to deliberately include those operating on the margins of the economy.
“I am concerned about the young person pushing a wheelbarrow in the market or selling by the roadside. How do we capture their dreams? These are often the youth who fall through the cracks, and we must be intentional about reaching them,” she said.
On programme effectiveness, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang underscored the importance of research and systematic impact tracking, noting that evidence-based assessments are key to sustaining and scaling interventions.
“When we measure impact, we understand what is working and how to improve. Tracking studies help us determine whether we are on course and what our interventions are truly achieving,” she said, adding that researchers have a critical role to play in this process.
She further raised concerns about drug abuse among young people and emphasised the need for early and sustained public education to prevent long-term harm.
“Public education is essential. We must protect our children early, because once the damage is done, fixing it can become extremely difficult,” she warned.
Touching on the broader economy, the Vice President called for innovation-driven growth, stressing the need to expand the size of the national economy rather than merely redistributing existing resources.
“I am not interested in sharing what we already have; I want us to grow the national pie. When the economy expands, even small percentages become meaningful, and those who drive growth must be supported,” she said.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang reaffirmed her office’s commitment to youth empowerment, describing national development as a shared responsibility that transcends individual ministries.
“You can count on us. Our work is about the entire nation and the well-being of our people. Wherever we are placed, our duty is to plan for the good of every Ghanaian,” she said.
She concluded by urging the Ministry to remain innovative, strengthen collaboration across sectors, and consistently track outcomes to ensure youth programmes are inclusive, impactful, and sustainable.